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News 

This is our most recent newsletter. If you'd like to sign up to receive this directly you can do so here. 

Please see the latest news and updates from the Family Time Centre 

 

Partnership with Buzz Family Time Centre   

July 2026

The Vine and Buzz have announced a strengthened partnership designed to protect and enhance family time services across Leeds and the surrounding areas, following a series of centre closures that have reduced local provision. With The Vine now operating as the sole remaining family time centre in the region, this collaboration marks a significant step in ensuring families continue to receive the support they need. 

Through this partnership, both organisations are working together to expand service capacity, share expertise, and establish stronger links with other community partners. This coordinated approach is helping to build a more connected network of support for families navigating relationship breakdown, separation, or divorce. 

The enhanced partnership enables The Vine to bridge gaps in local provision, ensuring that children and parents can maintain meaningful relationships and access safe, consistent spaces for family time. By strengthening connections across the sector, The Vine and Buzz are committed to safeguarding continuity of care and ensuring that families across the region do not face barriers to engagement. 

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Championing Children and Connection: The Vine Takes Part in the First National Child Contact Centre Week  

16–22 June 2025, The Vine Child Contact Centre proudly took part in the first ever National Child Contact Centre Week, a campaign coordinated by the National Association of Child Contact Centres (NACCC). This landmark week brought accredited centres across the UK together with one shared purpose: to raise awareness of the life‑changing work that happens within child contact centres every single day. 

For many families navigating separation, child contact centres provide a lifeline—somewhere safe, neutral, and supportive where children can spend meaningful time with the people who matter most to them. At The Vine in Leeds, we offer both supported and virtual contact, ensuring families have flexible options that meet their needs during what can be an emotionally challenging time. 

Our approach is rooted in one core principle: the child comes first. Everything we do is designed to create a safe, calm, welcoming, warm, and neutral environment where children feel heard, respected, and able to thrive. Whether it’s a quiet moment of play, a shared story, or simply time spent together, we aim to make every interaction feel secure and positive. 

Child Contact Centre Week gave us the opportunity to shine a light on this work—work that often happens quietly, behind the scenes, yet has a profound impact on children and families across Leeds. It also allowed us to stand alongside other centres nationwide, celebrating the dedication of volunteers, the resilience of families, and the importance of child‑centred support during separation. 

As we reflect on this inaugural national week, we are proud to be part of a movement that champions children’s wellbeing and strengthens family relationships. The Vine remains committed to providing a space where children feel valued and where families can rebuild trust, connection, and hope for the future.  


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A Night of Laughter and Community: Vollans Mediation Hosts Fundraising Quiz for the Centre  

In May 2025, Vollans Mediation generously hosted a fundraising quiz night in support of the Centre and what a night it was. From homemade cakes to a brilliantly crafted Yorkshire‑themed quiz (courtesy of one of the Vollans team), the evening brought together fun, friendly competition, and a shared passion for strengthening families across Leeds. 

The event offered a fantastic opportunity to showcase the work we do, introduce new supporters to our mission, and highlight the impact the Centre has within the community. Guests learned more about who we are, the families we support, and the vital role our service plays in helping parents and children rebuild relationships during times of separation. 

Our partnership with Vollans Mediation has grown steadily over the years, built on mutual trust and a shared commitment to supporting families. We regularly refer families to one another, ensuring that parents navigating separation receive the right support at the right time. Their decision to champion our cause through this event reflects the strength of that relationship. 

The quiz night also created a rare and special moment for the entire Vine volunteer team to come together. These volunteers are the heartbeat of the Centre without their dedication, compassion, and consistency, our service simply could not run. Celebrating them, and giving them space to enjoy an evening together, was a highlight in itself. 

The room was filled with laughter, friendly rivalry, and a real sense of community. It was a reminder that fundraising doesn’t have to be daunting or serious, sometimes it can be joyful, light‑hearted, and deeply meaningful all at once. 

A huge thank‑you to Vollans Mediation, everyone who attended, and all who continue to support the Centre. Nights like this help sustain our work and ensure families across Leeds have a safe, welcoming space to reconnect and grow.  

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A New Chapter Begins: Centre Opens Its Doors to a Warm, Welcoming Home‑From‑Home Space  

February 2025 marked a significant milestone for the Centre as we proudly moved into our new building, Vineyard House, an inspiring new base for the many outreach projects delivered through our overarching charity, Leeds Vineyard. This move representsfar more than a change of address; it reflects our commitment to creating a space where families can feel safe, respected, valued, and truly at home. 

The transition has been a remarkable team effort. The Refresh team dedicated countless hours to preparing the building, to welcome the community. Meanwhile, the Centre team spent weeks organising resources, sorting toys, and carefully coordinating the move from our previous site. Their hard work and attention to detail have shaped a space that feels warm, friendly, and intentionally designed for connection. 

Inside the new Centre, families are greeted by cosy carpets, comfy sofas, soft cushions, and inviting beanbags — all chosen to create a genuine home‑from‑home feel. A wide variety of toys and play resources are thoughtfully arranged to spark imagination and support shared play. Beyond the indoor space, an outdoor play area offers fresh air, freedom to explore, and even more opportunities for children and families to enjoy time together. 

With the support of staff, volunteers, and the wider community, the new Centre is already becoming a place where families can build relationships, strengthen bonds, and enjoy time together in an environment that feels both nurturing and familiar. The “home‑from‑home” atmosphere has been at the heart of our vision, and seeing it come to life marks an exciting new chapter for everyone involved. 

As we settle into this new season, we look forward to welcoming even more families through our doors and continuing to grow a space where everyone feels they belong.  

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Celebrating a Decade of Connection: Ten Years of Supporting Families at the Child Contact Centre  

In May 2023, the Contact Centre proudly celebrated a remarkable milestone. Ten years of serving, supporting, and reconnecting families across Leeds. What began as a simple vision from our overarching charity, Leeds Vineyard, has grown into a vital, trusted service that continues to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and their families. 

Over the past decade, the Centre has welcomed 258 families, enabling 712 children to spend meaningful time with a parent or family member. These moments; sometimes small, sometimes transformative, have helped rebuild relationships, strengthen bonds, and create memories that matter. 

Our long‑term impact is clear. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, 7 out of the 15 families we supported remained in ongoing contact, and 4 families continued to receive long‑term support. These numbers reflect not only the need for our service but also the trust families place in us during some of the most challenging seasons of their lives. 

To mark this special anniversary, we were honoured to welcome guests from across the community, including representatives from local organisations, generous donors, solicitors who regularly support families through the process, and our accredited body, NACCC. Their presence reflected the wide network of people who champion the Centre’s work and recognise its value within the city. 

From the beginning, our mission has been to remove barriers, especially financial ones. By offering a free service, we ensure that no family is prevented from reconnecting simply because they cannot afford support. This commitment has shaped who we are and continues to guide how we serve. 

Reaching our ten‑year anniversary is both a celebration and a blessing. In a time when funding is increasingly difficult to secure, this milestone stands as a testament to the dedication of our team, the generosity of our supporters, and the undeniable impact the Centre has within the community and the wider city of Leeds. We do not take this achievement for granted. 

As we look ahead, we remain committed to providing a safe, respectful, and welcoming space where families can rebuild trust, nurture relationships, and find hope for the future. The past ten years have shown what is possible and we are excited for all that is still to come. 

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