Leeds Launches Volunteer Photography Competition
November 13, 2025Celebrating the diversity of volunteering across the city
A new photography competition has been announced to highlight the wide range of volunteering activities taking place in Leeds. The initiative, organised by the Volunteer Managers’ Network coordinated by Voluntary Action Leeds (VAL), aims to showcase the diversity of volunteers and the roles they play in supporting communities across the city.
Competition details and partners
The Volunteers of Leeds photography competition is a collaborative effort involving VAL, Hyde Park Source, Creative Capture volunteers, and Leeds City Museum. The winning photographs from each category will be displayed at Leeds City Museum during the summer of 2026. In addition, all nominees will be invited to attend the exhibition.
A panel of journalism volunteers from Hyde Park Source will select the winning entries. They will be looking for images that are inspiring, represent a diverse range of people engaged in volunteering, and reflect the variety of roles volunteers undertake within communities.
Categories and submission process
There are 17 categories for photograph submissions, with one winner chosen from each. Entrants can submit multiple entries across different categories but must complete a separate form for each submission. The categories are as follows:
- Older people’s volunteering
- Children and youth volunteering
- Religion and faith volunteering
- Diversity in volunteering
- Health volunteering
- Environmental volunteering
- Arts volunteering
- Community engagement volunteering
- Sports volunteering
- Animal volunteering
- Refugee and asylum seeker volunteering
- Disability volunteering
- Equality and human rights volunteering
- Criminal justice volunteering
- Homeless volunteering
- Student volunteering
- Addiction recovery volunteering
To enter, applicants must complete a form providing details about the volunteer, the reason for nomination, and media consent. Photographs and captions should be emailed to Andrina.Dawson@val.org.uk. The deadline for submissions is 1 March 2026.
Encouraging community participation
This competition offers an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contributions of volunteers throughout Leeds. By capturing the faces and stories of those involved, the organisers hope to raise awareness of the important role volunteering plays in the city.
For more information and updates, visit the Doing Good Leeds website.
Source: Doing Good Leeds
