Rainbow Hearts: 15 Years of Light

Rainbow Hearts has been supporting women seeking asylum in Leeds for 15 years.

“We celebrate far more than the passage of years. We celebrate 15 years of extraordinary courage, resilience and lives changing.” Hala, Rainbow Hearts Project Worker

For 15 years, Rainbow Hearts has been a place where women seeking asylum in Leeds can connect, have fun, try new things and feel part of a community.

What started as a small group in a chair store room has grown into a welcoming space where women of all ages, languages and backgrounds can come together, build friendships and support their wellbeing.

How it began

Rainbow Hearts began in October 2011, when Women’s Health Matters started delivering sexual health work at PAFRAS in response to a need identified among women seeking asylum.This work took place in a predominantly male environment, and it quickly became clear that women needed a safe, women-only space.

The group initially took place during the PAFRAS drop-in session in Harehills. Only a small number of women attended, meeting together in a chair store room.

In 2012, the group moved to Chapeltown, where we had access to a larger room with kitchen facilities and continued to meet weekly. By 2013, attendance had grown from just two women to 20, with an average of 12 women attending each week.

Since then, Rainbow Hearts has continued to grow and evolve alongside the women who attend.

Today, more than 25 languages are spoken by the women in the group, and their ages span more than 60 years.

“Different people. Different cultures. We are Learning”

A Space Shaped by Women

Rainbow Hearts is a space for women to connect, have fun, try new things and support their wellbeing. Over the years, we’ve done all sorts of activities together, always shaped by the interests, ideas and feedback of the women in the group. 

CREATE

We’ve explored all kinds of creative activities, from painting, drawing and crafts to creative writing, photography, drama and other creative projects.

MOVE & BREATHE

We’ve taken time to look after our bodies and minds through gentle exercise, yoga, Zumba, Indian dance, breathing activities and other wellbeing sessions.

COOK & SHARE

Food brings people together. We’ve cooked and shared food from different cultures, learned new recipes and enjoyed eating together.

GET OUT & EXPLORE

We don’t always stay in the group. We’ve walked together, explored nature and the countryside, and visited places across Leeds.

LEARN

We often invite organisations and professionals to come into Rainbow Hearts and talk about the services and support available in Leeds. We also have health and wellbeing sessions, giving women the opportunity to learn more about their health, their bodies and themselves.

CONNECT & BELONG

Above all, Rainbow Hearts is about having a safe space to meet other women, build friendships and feel part of a community. All of our activities aim to support women’s wellbeing, help them build connections and feel more at home in their city.

What does Rainbow Hearts mean to the women who attend?

Perhaps the best way to understand what Rainbow Hearts means is to hear directly from the women themselves:

“It doesn’t matter if we don’t all speak the same language, we can still smile and share  laughter.”

“I feel like part of the family - I don’t know what I would have done without Rainbow Hearts”

“Since joining Rainbow Hearts, my life has changed. I used to stay in my room and cry all the time. Now there’s a life to live and things to do outside."

“The sense of togetherness in a group of women walking around the city is a new experience for me.”

”Rainbow Hearts is a space of trust and expressing my needs safely.”

These words capture something that statistics alone can’t: the importance of having somewhere to go, people to meet, friendships to build and a community to belong to.

Celebrating 15 years of Rainbow Hearts

So, how did we celebrate our community, our journey and the women we have supported over the past 15 years?

We had a party!

Last week, women currently attending Rainbow Hearts, alongside women who have accessed our support in the past, came together for a wonderful day of music, conversation, creativity and shared food.

It was a chance to celebrate not only 15 years of Rainbow Hearts, but the women who have made the group what it is.

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Fifteen years means thousands of conversations, countless cups of tea, new friendships, shared meals, creative projects, walks, laughter and moments of support. And, most importantly, it means 15 years of women creating a space together where they can feel safe, welcomed and connected.

We hope to continue welcoming and supporting women seeking asylum in Leeds for many years to come. With the continued support of our funders and partners, we look forward to creating many more opportunities for women to come together, share their experiences and feel a sense of belonging.

Here’s to the future of Rainbow Hearts.

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Below is a beautiful poem written by a woman who attended Rainbow Hearts. It truly captures the spirit of the Rainbow Hearts group.

Rainbow Hearts Fifteen Years of Light

Fifteen years ago, a light began to glow

A place where weary hearts could find a home.

Women from every land, every corner of the earth,

Stepped through the door and knew their worth.

No longer sitting in loneliness and quiet,

Here we found our voice, here we found our joy.

Breakfast shared, fresh fruit, a warm cup held in hand

We learned to smile, we learned to understand.

Emily stood with grace and steady care,

Making sure we knew we mattered, we were there.

When days felt heavy and the road seemed long,

Her quiet strength kept us moving, kept us strong.

Hala walked among us with a heart so true,

Seeing each one, making space for me and you.

She kept the doors open, kept the welcome warm

A shelter and a comfort through the storm.

Together they carried the light when shadows fell,

Together they showed us we have a story to tell.

Not just names on a page, not just work done well

They are the hands that held us when we couldn't tell.

From strangers we became sisters, side by side

Different colours, different tongues, but one great pride.

Art and song, and courage newly grown,

Children welcome, safe, and fully known.

Fifteen years and look how far we've come!

What started small is now a beating drum.

Thank you, Emily. Thank you, Hala.

For every kindness, every gentle hour.

The rainbow shines because you held it high

And now we stand together, under one bright sky.

Here’s to the past, and all the years ahead

Rainbow Hearts, our family, our home, our head.

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Thank you to our funders: Leeds City Council, Sport England, Yorkshire Sport Foundation, Evan Cornish Foundation, Womble Bond Dickinson, The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust

Thank you to our supporters: PAFRAS, Palm Cove Society, Being You Leeds, Linking Leeds, This Girl Can, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Bradford Grammar School, Thackray Museum of Medicine, Give a Gift, Leeds Refuge Forum, Migration Yorkshire, Women’s Whispers, MesMac, University of Leeds, Manuel Bravo Project, Leeds City Sanctuary, LASSN