Sunday 1 June - Monday 30 June

Gypsy, Roma & Traveller History Month

Through celebration, education and raising awareness, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month helps to tackle prejudice and amplify the voices of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers in wider society. 

Find out more about the 2024 theme- "What does family mean to you?"

Sunday 1 June - Monday 30 June

Pride Month

Pride Month is a month-long celebration and commemoration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their achievements. Since the first pride parade in 1970, the month has grown to include more of the LGBTQ+ community and continues to grow. It is also an important opportunity to highlight the continued inequality for LGBTQ+ people across the globe and get involved in making a difference, whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or are an ally.

Read: The Stonewall uprising: 50 years of LGBT history

Sunday 1 June - Tuesday 3 June

Shavuot

Shavuot is a Jewish celebration  known as the "Feast of Weeks". It takes place seven weeks after Passover and commemorates the spring harvest and the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.

Find out more: Shavuot

Monday 2 June - Sunday 8 June

Volunteer's Week

Volunteers' Week celebrates the contributions volunteers make to communities across the UK. It’s a chance to recognise, celebrate and thank the UK’s volunteers for all they contribute to local communities, the voluntary sector, and society as a whole.

Explore: Volunteering Stories

Wednesday 4 June - Monday 9 June

Hajj

The Hajj is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims.

Read: What is Hajj?

Friday 6 June -Tuesday 10 June

Eid al-Adha

Eid al-Adha is the second and the larger of the two main holidays celebrated in Islam. It honours the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismail as an act of obedience to Allah's command.

Read: What is Eid al-Adha?

Saturday 7 June

Leeds Ball

Leeds Ball is an annual end-of-academic year celebration. The biggest event of the Leeds student calendar, it's a time for students to get together and celebrate the year in style.

Sunday 8 June

World Oceans Day

On World Ocean Day, people around our blue planet celebrate and honour our one shared ocean, that connects us all.

Find out more: World Ocean Day

Monday 9 June - Sunday 15 June

Carer's Week

Led by Carers UK, the week aims to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges unpaid carers face, and acknowledge the huge contribution carers make. It’s also a time to help people who don’t think of themselves as carers, to identify as carers and access much-needed support.

Watch: Carers' Stories

Monday 9 June - Friday 15 June 

Global Inclusion Week

Led by Inclusive Employers, Global Inclusion Week is an annual awareness week that aims to shine a light on inclusion in a global context. This year's theme is " Cultural Intelligence: Inclusion Across Cultures".

Click here to find out more. 

Monday 9 June - Sunday 15 June

Loneliness Awareness Week

Hosted by Marmalade Trust, Loneliness Awareness Week is an annual campaign which raises awareness of loneliness, encourages discussions on loneliness, and empowers people to make connections.

This year's theme is "Random Acts of Connection"

Click here to find out how you can get involved.

Tuesday 10 June - Monday 16 June

International Men's Health Week

International Men's Health Week is an annual event that aims to raise awareness of preventable health problems that disproportionately affect men and encourage them to seek help.

Find out more: Inclusive Employers

Tuesday 10 June

Shining Stars Deadline

The Shining Stars scheme is LUU’s way of ensuring that we recognise staff who have positively impacted their team and others in the organisation. 

Nominate your colleagues for the categories of Inclusive, Empowering and Fun, and the winner in each category receives £100 to spend on a gift card of their choice. 

Get your nominations in by Tuesday 10 June. Click here to submit your nominations

Thursday 12 June

Social Mobility Day

Launched in 2022, Social Mobility Day is an initiative organised by Making The Leap which exists to help raise the awareness of social mobility and encourage organisations to share their social mobility stories with the public.

Explore: Social Mobility Day

Saturday 14 June 

Remembering Grenfell Tower

Today marks eight years since the fire which destroyed Grenfell Tower, taking the lives of 72 people.

What happened that night?

Saturday 14 June

World Blood Donor Day

World Blood Donor Day provides a special opportunity to celebrate and thank voluntary blood donors around the world for their gift of blood and has become a major focus for action towards achieving universal access to safe blood transfusion.

This year’s theme is 20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors!

Find out more: World Health Organisation

Sunday 15 June 

Fathers Day

Father's Day is a holiday of honouring fatherhood and paternal bonds, as well as the influence of fathers in society.

Monday 16 June - Sunday 22 June

Refugee Week

Refugee Week is the world’s largest arts & culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary. Established in 1998 in the UK, this annual festival aligns with World Refugee Day, celebrated globally on 20 June.

Watch: Refugee Week Film Programme

Wednesday 18 June

Autistic Pride Day

First celebrated in 2005, Autistic Pride Day is a global celebration that raises awareness among those who are not on the autistic spectrum so that they recognise individuals not as requiring treatment, but as unique individuals, and it creates a space for autistic people to freely and confidently express their true selves.

Find out more: Autistic Empire

Friday 20 June 

Litha

Otherwise known as Summer Solstice or Midsummer- the day celebrates the beginning of summer and is the longest day of the year.

Find out more: English Heritage

Friday 20 June

World Refugee Day

This day celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.

Find out more: UNHCR

Sunday 22 June 

Windrush Day

It's been 76 years since the Empire Windrush ship docked at the port of Tilbury bringing the first of the Windrush Generation to the UK. This day celebrates the people of the Windrush Generation and their descendants in the UK.

Watch: Windrush Generation

Tuesday 24 June- Monday 30 June

World Wellbeing Week

World Wellbeing Week celebrates all areas of wellbeing, ‘From meaningful and purposeful work to financial security, physical, mental, and emotional health, social resilience, empathic corporate and civic leadership, community relations, and environmental care.’

What does wellbeing mean to you?

Wednesday 25 June

Summer Staff Conference

Tuesday 1 July -Thursday 31 July

Disability Pride Month

Disability Pride Month focuses on and celebrate the disabled community and their pride. It is a month that encourages self-acceptance and embraces all disabilities, as well as accepting and honouring each persons' uniqueness.

Watch: BBC Newsround

Tuesday 1 July - Thursday 31 July

Plastic Free July

Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution – so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.

Click here to take the Plastic Free July Challenge.

Tuesday 1 July

International Reggae Day

A day to celebrate the history of Reggae music, the culture and people of the Caribbean. 

Find out more here.

Friday 4 July

Independence Day (USA)

It is the anniversary of the publication of the declaration of the USA's independence from Great Britain in 1776. Patriotic displays and family events are organized throughout the country. 

Sunday 6 July

The Day of Ashura

This marks the death anniversary of Hussain ibn Ali, a revolutionary leader who was killed for taking a dignified stand for moral and social justice and against oppression. 

Watch:  Hussain's Inspirational Campaign

Sunday 6 July

Omnisexual Visibility Day

Omnisexual Visibility Day was created to recognise and celebrate people who identify as omnisexual. It is an opportunity to learn and share information about the diversity of gender identities, sexual orientations, and expressions.

Learn more: Joshua Lloyd

Wednesday 9 July

Martyrdom of the Báb

This major holy day is celebrated on Tuesday 9July at noon and commemorates the 1850 execution of the co- founder of the Bahá'í faith, the Báb. His teachings are the foundation of the Bahá'í faith, and the Martyrdom of the Báb is one of nine holy days.

Find out more here.

Thursday 10 July

Dharma Day

Dharma Day is celebrated in Theravada countries on the full moon day of July. It marks the beginning of the Buddha's teaching. It is usually celebrated with readings from the Buddhist scriptures, and is an opportunity to reflect deeply on their content.

Watch: What is Dharma?

Monday 14 July

International Non-Binary People's Day

This day is aimed at raising awareness and organising around the issues faced by non-binary people around the world. 

10 ways to step up as an ally to non-binary people.

Friday 18 July - Sunday 17 August

South Asian Heritage Month

It seeks to raise the profile of British South Asian heritage and history in the UK through education, arts, culture and commemoration, with the goal of helping people to better understand the diversity of present-day Britain and improve social cohesion across the country. 

Find out more here.

Friday 18 July

Black Leaders Awareness Day

Black Leaders Awareness Day (BLAD) aims to inform and educate people from all walks of life about the cultural impact of the world’s most celebrated Black leaders. Through sharing the wisdom of Black leaders, both past and present, via quotes, speeches, and videos, organisations are reminded of the importance of diverse leadership where all voices are valued and heard.

Find out more: Author's Edition

Friday 18 July

Mandela Day

An annual international day to celebrate the life of Nelson Mandela on his birthday.  The day is characterised taking action and inspiring change in your local community.

Find out more: Mandela Day

Sunday 20 July

Leeds Pride

Leeds Pride is one of the biggest one-day festivals in Leeds City Centre- celebrating LGBTQ+ life in Yorkshire.

Each year, the colourful parade kicks off at Millennium Square, winding its way through the city streets and culminating on Lower Briggate by The Calls, where the festivities begin.

Stay up to date: Leeds Pride

Friday 25 July

National Schizophrenia Awareness Day

A day to shine a light on the everyday challenges the millions of people living with a diagnosis of schizophrenia face and how we can tackle the stigma and discrimination around it.

How to get involved: Healthline

Wednesday 30 July

International Day of Friendship

The International Day of Friendship celebrates the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.

Find out more: United Nations

Friday 1 August - Thursday 7 August

World Breastfeeding Week

WBW is a global campaign to raise awareness and to promote action, with this year's theme being "Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create sustainable support systems"

To find out more, head over to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action website.

Friday 1 August

Lughnasadh

Also known as Lammas, it is a Pagan holiday that marks the beginning of the harvest season. Originating in Ireland, people celebrate this day with bread making, corn dollies and a feast.

Find out more: Druidry

Thursday 7 August

Cycle to Work Day

An annual event that promotes the bicycle as an option for commuting to work.

Find out more about bikes around Leeds: Five Things on a Friday

Saturday 9 August

International Day of World's Indigenous Peoples

It’s a day to reflect on the challenges Indigenous peoples face all over the world and to take steps toward promoting and protecting their rights. The event recognises and honours their achievements, and is also a time to reflect on and celebrate Indigenous culture, tradition, and heritage.

Find out more: United Nations

Sunday 10 August

UK Black Pride

Taking place in London, it is the world's largest pride celebration of LGBTQIA+ people of African, Asian, Caribbean, Latin America and Middle Eastern descent.

Stay up to date: UK Black Pride

Tuesday 12 August

International Youth Day

First observed in 2000, it's awareness day designated by the United Nations to draw attention to a given set of cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.

Click here to find out more about.

Saturday 16 August

Krishna Janmashtami

This Hindu festival celebrates the birth of the god Krishna. Also known as Gokulashtami, Janmashtami, or Krishanashtami- people fast on the day, breaking the fast the next day after midnight. They also workship Krishna by singing songs, decorating Hindu temples and the idol of Krishna.

Find out more: BBC

Sunday 17 August

Marcus Garvey Day

Today commemorates Marcus Garvey, a Jamaican-born Black political activist, publisher, and journalist.

Garvey popularized, and is credited for, the phrase “Black Is Beautiful”, giving his followers and supporters a sense of hope and power.

Watch: Marcus Garvey 

Tuesday 19 August

World Humanitarian Day

Each year, this day focuses on a theme, bringing together partners from across the humanitarian system to advocate for the survival, well-being and dignity of people affected by crises, and for the safety and security of aid workers. 

Find out more: World Humanitarian Day

Tuesday 19 August

World Photography Day

An annual, worldwide celebration of the art, craft, science and history of photography.

Learn more about World Photography Day here.

Tuesday 26 August

National Dog Day

The day celebrates all dogs and seeks to encourage people to adopt more dogs instead of buying them from pet shops. The day was founded by Animal Welfare Advocate and Pet Lifestyle expert Collen Paige.

Click here for more information (and dogs).

Monday 25 August - Tuesday 26 August

LUU Closed Days

LUU is closed for the August Bank Holiday on the 25, and Tuesday 26. LUU will be back open as usual on Wednesday 27.

To find out more about LUU's closed days, head to the HR for Everyone page. 

Thursday 28 August

Remembering Chadwick Boseman

On this day in 2020, Chadwick Boseman passed away from Cancer. Chadwick played The Black Panther in a movie that is historically known for having a majority black cast - a rarity in Hollywood Movies. 

Watch Marvels Tribute to Chadwick.