Thank you and good bye.
The trustees, staff and volunteers at The Market Place Leeds would like to thank you for your support over the years. Tens of thousands of Leeds young people have benefited from our work over the last 36 years and that is a great legacy to leave. We couldn’t put it better than Chloe, who benefited from counselling and Drop In support at TMP, so as we close the doors for the last time, we’re sharing the moving and beautiful speech Chloe gave at our Farewell concert here with you:
“The Market Place Farewell Speech
Today is a bittersweet day — one filled with both gratitude and sadness — as we say goodbye to a service that has meant so much to so many of us, myself included.
Standing here, I can’t help but think back to what this place truly represents. It wasn’t just a building, or a service, or a program. It was a community. It was a place where people found understanding, connection, and hope when we needed it most.
As a former service user, I know firsthand how life-changing that support can be. In some of my most difficult moments, when I felt completely lost and unsure where to turn, this place became my safe space. It was somewhere I could be honest — somewhere I didn’t have to pretend to be okay. The team here didn’t just listen; they heard me. They didn’t just offer advice; they offered understanding.
The staff here went beyond professional care — they gave us kindness, patience, and genuine compassion. They saw the person behind the diagnosis, the story behind the struggle, and the potential behind the pain. That kind of care is rare, and it changes lives in ways that can never truly be measured.
So, while it’s incredibly hard to see these doors close, I want to take this moment to say the most heartfelt thank you.
Thank you to every support worker, every team member, and everyone behind the scenes who gave so much of yourselves — your time, your energy, your empathy — even on the days when it wasn’t easy. You showed up. You cared. And you made people feel seen and valued.
Your impact doesn’t stop here.
The work you’ve done will continue to ripple outward, far beyond these walls. You’ve helped people not just to survive, but to start living again. You’ve planted seeds of confidence and hope that will continue to grow long after today.
I can say that because I am one of those people. Without The Market Place team, I truly don’t think I’d be standing here today, growing my little boy loving life again. You gave me the strength to rebuild when I didn’t think I could. You reminded me that I was still a person — not just a patient or a case file — and that I still had something to live for.
And for that, I will be forever thankful.
Even on my darkest days, I was never judged here. I was welcomed, I was listened to, and I was supported. And I’ll say this — having dealt with many professional teams over the years — The Market Place team will always come out on top.
So although today marks the closing of a service, it doesn’t mark the end of its story. The lessons, the care, the humanity that you’ve shown — those things don’t disappear. They live on in every single person you’ve helped, in every life you’ve touched, and in every bit of hope you’ve restored.
From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of everyone whose lives you’ve touched — thank you. Thank you for believing in us, for walking beside us, and for making more of a difference than you’ll ever truly know.
Thank you”
Please be aware that the email address for data requests for anyone who previously benefited from TMP’s support is tmpdatarequests@sarsvl.org.uk We are immensely grateful to SARSVL for taking care of our data in a formal agreement from 31st October 2025. Please note that data is only retained for five years from the last time someone accessed one of our services.