Welcome to the 12 wishes blog page. We are excited to turn this space into a place full of positive stories, inspirational messages and meaningful information and signposting over the next year.
We have an ambition to make this city the best to grow up in, by getting every person, place and organisation in Leeds thinking about the 12 wishes in all that they do.
Each month, we will raise awareness of one wish, hearing from children and young people on the importance of the topic and sharing how you can get involved.
“What is it like to be a child or young person in
Leeds, and how can we make it better?”
Back in 2012, when the ‘Child Friendly Leeds’ initiative was launched by the late Queen Elizabeth, the 12 original wishes were formed.
The idea behind it? To be a compassionate, economically strong and successful city which has children and young people at its heart. After all, the education, care and experiences children have when they are growing up, shape our future communities.
So, the wishes of children and young people are at the heart of, and guide, our work. After a decade of building partnerships with hundreds of ambassadors across the city and sharing this vision and work, in 2022, it was time to give these wishes a refresh.
The 12 wishes refresh project listened to the voices of 80,000 children and young people in Leeds, as you can see here:
Once they were ready to go, the new and improved 12 wishes were launched in a special two-week exhibition taking place at Leeds City Museum in July 2023.
So, now you’re all caught up, you are ready to explore each wish….
