December 2025 Monthly Roundup
- LonGBoaT Wakefield
- Dec 24, 2025
- 3 min read
As we head into the festive break, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on December and share a final update before we close for Christmas. This month has been about warmth, care and community. These are values that matter all year round, but especially at this time of year.
For many LGBT+ people, Christmas can be complicated. While it can bring joy and connection, it can also be a time of isolation or heightened pressure. Our work continues to centre those realities, ensuring there are spaces in Wakefield where people feel welcome, respected and not alone.
Throughout December, Wakefield Kirkgate Railway Station was filled with festive brass music thanks to our partnership with Horbury Victoria Brass Band. Seasonal recordings played through the subway brought moments of calm, familiarity and celebration to people passing through the station; whether commuting, travelling to see loved ones, or simply moving through the city.
Public spaces can feel impersonal, but projects like this remind us how small interventions can make everyday environments feel more human and inclusive.
This December also saw the start of a hopefully long friendship with our living Christmas tree at Wakefield Kirkgate, made possible through the Calder Valley scheme with Northern Railway and Rooted. The tree is being cared for by our dedicated Station Adoption volunteers.
Choosing a living tree reflects our commitment to sustainability and care — values that sit alongside our wider work supporting people and place.
December also marked the close of our programme for 2025. We shared details of our Christmas closure, alongside final events including our last Trivia Quiz Night and Coffee Morning of the year. These moments matter, not just as activities, but as points of connection that many people rely on for routine and belonging.
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, volunteered, supported or simply showed up over the past year. Thank you.
The Safe Space Scheme continued to grow in December, with more organisations committing to being visibly inclusive and supportive environments for LGBT+ people and allies. We’re pleased to welcome the following organisations to the scheme this month:
BHA Wakefield
Spectrum Health
Spectrum People
Opal Hair
The Hepworth Gallery
They join existing Safe Space members across the district, helping to make Wakefield a place where LGBT+ people can move through daily life with greater confidence and reassurance.
The Safe Space Scheme is open to any business or organisation in the Wakefield district. You can find out more and apply here:https://www.longboatwakefield.org/safespace
A Christmas Message to Our LGBT+ Community
As we head into Christmas, we want to speak directly to our LGBT+ community.
Whether this season brings celebration, quiet reflection, mixed emotions or simply another day to get through please remember you matter. You deserve spaces where you are safe, valued and treated with dignity, not just at Christmas, but every day of the year.
If this time feels difficult, know that you are not alone, even when things feel quiet. Our doors will reopen in the new year, and the community will still be here ready to welcome you back.
From all of us at LonGBoaT Wakefield, we wish you a gentle, caring and affirming Christmas, however you spend it.
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