A year ago, Work Rest or Play began an exciting new chapter — expanding from its HD8 roots into a wider platform helping communities, businesses and organisations across Yorkshire and beyond become easier to discover.
Today, we are proud to share our first Work Rest or Play Community Impact Report, celebrating the journey so far and the people, organisations and communities that have helped shape our growth.
More than a directory — a growing community network
Work Rest or Play was created with a simple purpose:
To help people discover what is happening locally, while giving organisations a place to be visible online — even if they don’t have the time, confidence or resources to manage their own digital presence.
For many small businesses, charities, community groups and voluntary organisations, being found online can feel overwhelming. They may not have a website, a marketing team or hours available every week to create content.
That is where Work Rest or Play helps.
By bringing together local events, news, businesses and community organisations in one place, we help create connections between the people looking for local opportunities and the organisations providing them.
Our first year by numbers
Since expanding beyond HD8, Work Rest or Play has continued to grow:
🌍 137 organisations represented
📍 122 communities represented
🎉 12,159 events shared
📰 525 local news stories published
📱 19,675 people reached through social media
💻 3,700 website visitors in the last 28 days
Behind every number is a real organisation, event or opportunity that has become easier for people to find.
From one postcode to a growing network
Work Rest or Play started in the HD8 area, but our vision has always been bigger: helping more communities celebrate what makes their area unique.
Over the past year, we have expanded our presence across:
- West Yorkshire
- South Yorkshire
- North Yorkshire
- Lancashire
- Calderdale
- Bradford
We now have content representing more than 120 communities, with dedicated area pages continuing to grow.
Our journey is not about replacing local connections — it is about strengthening them.
The next chapter: building an even more connected community
As we look ahead, we are developing new ways to measure and celebrate the impact of Work Rest or Play.
Future reports will explore:
📍 The most active areas
🚀 Fastest-growing communities
🎉 Event activity by location
📰 Local news coverage
🤝 Community connections and partnerships
📣 Member advocacy and referrals
We know that impact is not only measured through likes, comments and followers. Sometimes the biggest impact is simply helping someone discover a local group, attend an event, visit a business or connect with something happening in their community.
Could your organisation be part of the story?
Whether you are a local business looking to increase your visibility, a community organisation wanting more people to discover your work, or a partner interested in supporting stronger local connections, we would love to hear from you.
There are several ways to get involved:
🌟 Join Work Rest or Play
Create your presence on a growing local platform designed to help people discover organisations like yours.
🤝 See how it works
Book a conversation with us and we can show you how Work Rest or Play could help your organisation become more visible online.
📄 Read the full impact report
Discover the full story behind our first year of growth, including our network, reach, content and future plans.
Thank you for being part of the journey
To every business, community group, event organiser and supporter who has been part of Work Rest or Play so far — thank you.
Every listing added, every event shared and every organisation discovered helps make local communities stronger.
We cannot wait to see where the next year takes us.