About Wade’s
Wade’s Charity is one of Leeds best kept secrets - a charity founded in 1530 which owns large areas of open spaces & parks in Leeds. Wade’s Charity also provides grants to registered charities and community groups across Leeds, funded by monies held in trust by the charity.
Originally established by the will of Thomas Wade - the fund was added to by later bequests of Alice Lodge, Henry Ambler, Richard Simpson and others dating back to the 1600’s.
It has 2 main objectives:
"providing and maintaining open spaces within the pre-1974 Leeds city boundary, for the benefit and recreation or health of the inhabitants of Leeds"
"the provision of facilities for recreation, amusement, entertainment and general social intercourse for citizens of every age of areas of population in the City of Leeds occupied in the main by the working classes including in any such objects the establishment of what are commonly known as Community Centres and Youth Centres"