A Successful Year for the LS8 Meet-Up Group for North Leeds Businesses | Winston Solicitors Skip to main content
winston-solicitors-north-leeds-businesses-ls8-meet-up
Our news

A Successful Year for the LS8 Meet-Up Group for North Leeds Businesses

Teresa Davidson Teresa Davidson
4 min read

Since its inception in early 2023, the LS8 Meet-Up has rapidly evolved into a thriving local networking group. Fuelled by coffee, croissants and charity, the group is dedicated to fostering strong connections between North Leeds businesses. The events take place at the Leeds Deli in Roundhay, which provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere alongside a delicious breakfast.

Teresa Davidson, a partner at Winston Solicitors and family law specialist, has been the driving force behind the LS8 Meet-up events. In response to the final meet-up of the year, she said:

"We're thrilled with the growth and success we've achieved in such a short time. It's testament to the incredible businesses and professionals in North Leeds and their dedication to strengthening our local community. We look forward to continuing to build valuable connections and making a positive impact."

Our roots are important to us, here at Winston Solicitors, and supporting our local community is part of our ethos. Facilitating these events has allowed us to support North Leeds businesses and the wider community in several ways.

North Leeds Businesses Have Made Some Great Connections

At the core of the LS8 Meet-Up’s mission is the belief that "people buy from people." The group’s primary objective is to create a close-knit community where North Leeds businesses and professionals actively support, engage, and collaborate with one another. The bi-monthly breakfast events offer a relaxed platform for members to develop lasting relationships, exchange ideas, and contribute to the economic growth of North Leeds.  

A distinguishing factor of the LS8 Meet-up's success is its informal approach. This isn't your average breakfast networking, where people are only interested in the hard hustle. While formal networking can yield some great results, this is a space for deeper connection. Lasting friendships between local North Leeds businesses have been built over a Leeds Deli breakfast at the LS8 Meet-up groups. 

"It has been good to meet people. It has increased my confidence at networking. It has been a great opportunity to build future relationships.” - Liz Earley, Liz Early Acupuncture

One thing you can be sure of is that nobody leaves with a handful of faceless business cards they don’t want or need. It’s all about quality over quantity.

Charities in North Leeds have Benefitted from the LS8 Meet-Up Group

In addition to its focus on North Leeds businesses, the LS8 Meet-up group prides itself on giving back. Each networking event includes a raffle, and all proceeds go to the chosen charity for that particular event. The raffle winner chooses the charity for the following meet-up, which means there has been a good circulation of great causes to donate to. Choosing a charity isn’t the only reward for winning the raffle draw, and winners also walk away with a wonderful selection of delights from the Leeds Deli.

To date, the group has raised £450 for five local Leeds charities and generated several volunteers to lend a hand. The March LS8 Meet-up raised money for Cash for Kids, May’s charity was Zarach Leeds, and July Leeds Mind. In September, we donated to Leeds Hospitals Charity / Rob Burrow Centre for MND and our ultimate North Leeds networking charity of the year was St Gemma's Hospice Leeds.

winston-solicitors-ls8-meetup-north-leeds-businesses-charity-raffle-winners2winston-solicitors-ls8-meetup-north-leeds-businesses-charity-raffle-winners

Sophie Westmoreland, Corporate and Events Fundraiser at Leeds Mind, offered further insight into the LS8 Meet-ups saying:

“The mix of really local businesses with a genuine interest in connecting! Plus the warm atmosphere and hosting by Winston Solicitors. We received a lovely donation, got to spread the word about Leeds Mind and got some sign-ups to our events. It’s great that you can go in a morning and then fit in other things for the rest of the day!”

North Leeds Businesses are Also Integral to the Success of the Meet-ups 

Tucked away in the leafy suburbs, a hop skip and a jump from the bustle of Street Lane in Roundhay, The Leeds Deli offers the perfect environment for informal networking. A combination of soft lighting, appetising food, and great coffee creates an intimate atmosphere that encourages conversation. With ample parking, outdoor seating and easy access from all North Leeds locations.

In addition, anyone who attended the LS8 meet-ups over the year received a small gift of appreciation. For this, we chose The Biskery, a local business that specialises in creating beautiful, sweet treats that get your message across.

winston-solicitors-ls8-meetup-north-leeds-businesses-the-biskery

Here’s to Another Great Year of LS8 Meet-Ups for North Leeds Businesses

Feedback for the LS8 Meet-up has been fantastic and many have already seen the benefit of the contacts they’ve made.

" I've really enjoyed coming, not all networking events give you the chance to chat to people in a relaxed manner without the pressure to have tons of referrals... looking forward to coming back next year." - Luke Senior, Just Mortgages

Popularity of LS8 Meet-up for North Leeds businesses is evident, with a growing waiting list to join its events. We look forward to another bumper year of networking in 2024.

Are you part of a North Leeds business? For more information about the LS8 Meet-Ups, please contact Leonie Donne @email

Client feedback

They were very good at keeping me up to date and letting me know the progress of my claim
Charley
I would definitely highly recommend the efficiency & good communication thry have & have had several properties successfully completed with
Mr H
Excellent local solicitors would recommend. You can call in the office car parking available and receptionists very helpful if you need help. Dealt with them before, excellent.
Ian
Friendly, easy to understand and comunitive. Would happily recommend they to others.
John
Winston Solicitors was recommended to me, as this was my first time buying a house and didn’t know what to expect. They made the process very easy and I did not have to worry about any of the process as I got to track it every step of the way. Samantha also kept me updated and any queries were replied to promptly. I will definitely be using again in the future and recommend everyone I know.
Mr Michel
I can’t speak highly enough of Sidraa at Winston Solicitors for her exceptional support throughout my house purchase. From start to finish, she has been absolutely brilliant. Her prompt responses, attention to detail, and professionalism made a stressful process feel manageable and smooth. This is actually the second time I’ve used Winston Solicitors, and once again, they have been great. Consistent, reliable, and professional and Sidraa in particular truly went above and beyond. She was always kind, polite, and incredibly approachable, nothing ever felt like too much trouble. Even when dealing with a particularly difficult chain and the added pressure of a new stamp duty deadline, she worked tirelessly to get everything done on time. She responded to queries even out of hours, always called back when she said she would, and genuinely made me feel like a priority. What really stood out to me was her dedication — despite having preplanned annual leave for Eid, she still tried to keep things moving, which shows how committed she is to her clients. Her communication was clear and consistent, and she made a complex process feel a lot less daunting. I felt fully supported and in safe hands throughout. If you're looking for a solicitor who is professional, caring, and truly exceptional at what she does, Sidraa at Winston Solicitors is the one to go to. I’m incredibly grateful for everything she did and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again or recommend her to others. - April 2025
I Younas, Leeds
I would really like to thank both Amr and his assistant Joe. Throughout the whole process they kept me informed, nothing was ever too much. I am a first time buyer, this was a very stressful time but both members of staff made me feel at ease that it would get sorted. Thank you so much both!
Y Hinton, Leeds
Leasa and Julie were fantastic at helping us buy and sell our house. They were punctual, and kept us up to date with what was going on. Their online platform was clear to follow. Leasa's email response time was rapid, this was incredibly valuable. - March 2025
J Salthouse, Leeds
Contact Teresa