On July 4th, Richmond Hill Elderly Action lit up East End Park bowling club with smiles, music and fun, all blessed by unexpectedly lovely weather as they held their first Picnic in the Park event for anyone aged 55 or older.

Richmond Elderly Action (RHEA), is a charity based in Leeds 9 that works with and for people aged 55 and over in Richmond Hill, East End Park, Cross Green and parts of Osmondthorpe, established in 1995. It provides fantastic opportunities for activities, events support and trips away for those aged 55 and over.
RHEA was joined by Mencap, St Vincents and Opera North at the East End Park Bowling Club, with Opera North bringing the singing and a brass band bringing in the music.
With the police paying a visit to join in the revelry and Councillor Asghar Khan snapping away, and of course, the fantastic members of RHEA and their amazing volunteers
Music, singing, dancing, drinks, food, fun, friendship and sunshine sounds like the perfect day!














It looks like a tremendous day, and I hope they do it again in years to come.
You can learn more about RHEA and its activities on their Facebook page.
Leeds Mencap, a charity dedicated to supporting those with learning disabilities, can be found on their website.
St Vincent’s is a community support centre based in East Leeds and run by the St Vincent de Paul Society (England and Wales), a safe hub dedicated to changing lives through advice, support, education and community. You can find out more on their website.
Support independent community journalism!
East Side Story covers the people, places and stories in Leeds that are too often overlooked. While national headlines chase conflict and clickbait, we focus on real communities and the issues shaping daily life in East Leeds.
Divisive content, AI noise and online rumours spread faster than ever. At the same time, many mainstream outlets are stretched and rarely spotlight the community organisations and local champions who deserve recognition.
East Side Story was created to change that. We answer only to our readers. We have no corporate owners or billionaire funders. Our journalists report freely, ask difficult questions and hold power to account.
Your support helps us keep this work going. Monthly contributions make the biggest impact because they allow us to invest in deeper reporting and fearless local journalism.
Supporters also receive exclusive updates, behind the scenes insights and other benefits as a thank you for keeping independent journalism alive.