The Leeds carnival is an amazing celebration which incorporates all three essential elements of authentic West Indian carnival: costumes, music and masquerade procession. It is one of the longest running West Indian Carnivals in Europe and began in 1967, therefore, marking the milestone 50th anniversary in 2017.
On this special occasion, the carnival exceeded the expectations of the public, and the crowds of people gathered. It brought an explosion of colour, music and dance to the streets of Leeds, delivering a vibrant atmosphere, and brought different cultures, races, religions, ages and backgrounds together in celebration. The carnival was all about having fun, enjoying the music, food and drinks, pure happiness, dazzling costumes and Caribbean beats.
Touchstone, also made sure to join in the celebration and to add to the energetic friendly vibe on the day of the parade. A Touchstone Support Centre Stall was set up and over 170 people at the parade visited the stall.
The purpose of the stall was to not only to embrace the carnival, but also to make a positive impact on people’s lives, bring happiness and support to the people in the community, just like the carnival did.
The stall raised awareness of health and mental health wellbeing, which also provided free information books for the general public. To also bring happiness to people, the stall provided free cold drinks and ice pops to families and children.
