Left Bank - Who We Are...

The former St Margaret of Antioch building is held in trust by the Word of Life Trust, charity no 1086843. Left Bank Leeds is run by the Word of Life Trust.

Left Bank is run as a social enterprise. Once we are fully operational, money made from our activities will go into the upkeep of the building and the provision of services and activities for people working in the arts and for the local community.

We have a volunteer steering group, made up of the trustees of the Trust and other people who have been involved in the development of Left Bank (see below). We also have lots of volunteers who help with practical jobs around the building and support and advice to the steering group.

Friends of Left Bank Leeds

We don't yet have a formal Friends scheme, but all our supporters and users of the building are considered as our friends. We want to keep our friends informed about developments and consult them on new plans. We hope that many of our friends will be able to support us with volunteer time and maybe even cash!

Steering Group and Trustees

Anna Hall – is an experienced and award winning Producer and Director. She has worked in the radio and television industry for 17 years and has experience of a wide range of programming, particularly social issue based films.

Emma King - has lived in Leeds for 18 years and near Left Bank for the last 15. A Christian and former member of the Word of Life Church on Cardigan Road, Emma is a trustee of the Word of Life Trust. She works on environmental and recycling issues forLeeds City Council.

Jennie Beaumont - has been working in the voluntary and private sector in Art related projects for the past 29 years. For the past 17 years she has worked in adult and community education. Jennie was instrumental in the development of Artsmix (formerly Equality Workshops). She is head of contract management and business incubation for Leeds City College.

Mike Love – trained and practised as a solicitor and was actively involved in church leadership for 20 years. Since 2002 he has been chair of Leeds Christian Community Trust, an ecumenical Trust that supports initiatives expressing the unity and mission of the church in Leeds. Mike is a director of Together For Peace and a trustee of the Word of Life Trust.

Patti Lunniss - has been involved in youth work for many years and has been instrumental in leading and developing many youth projects around Leeds. She is officially retired but continues to be very involved in youth work and is well known for her mass catering for hungry teenagers! Patti is a Trustee of Word of Life Trust.

Simon Hall – is a youth worker and Baptist minister. He was Founding Principal of Oasis College in London and until recently a trustee of Greenbelt, Europe's largest Christian arts festival. He is part of a local Christian community, Revive, which is a keen supporter of Left Bank. Through his work with young people in Leeds for over 15 years Simon has encouraged the development of several young Leeds musicians. He is now a freelance trainer and consultant for the voluntary sector and works part time for Left Bank.

Vik Banks – works for UnLtd, a charity supporting social entrepreneurs, providing business advice and mentoring. She was previously director of Arkadash, a fair-trade and organic clothing business. She has a particular interest in the ethics and sustainability of Left Bank Leeds. She has lived in the Hyde Park/Headingley area of Leeds since 1987. Vik works part time as Left Bank’s project manager.

Giselle Shaw – has lived locally since the late 1980s and was a youth worker in the Burley/Hyde park area for 10 years. She now works in finance, supporting small businesses. She has been involved in organising Community Sports Days and Carol Services in the local park for several years. As a local resident and parent, she is keen to see regeneration of the local neighbourhood.

Phill Hopkins - is the manager of Henshaws Art and Craft Centre in Knaresborough and an artist and sculptor who has exhibited internationally. He has only recently joined the steering group and we are delighted to have his skills and experience on board.