Emotional final day for viral People of Leeds social media account as project closes after more than a decade

The PeopleofLeeds social media account has been running since 2012, but will close today (January 16) after more than a decade.

It has tens of thousands of followers and is unique in its ability to spotlight the everyday lives of people who call the city their home.

Every Monday, a new person steps into the role of admin to share snapshots from their week – whether it be a glimpse into their career, a favourite landmark that’s special to them, or a story about living in Leeds.

Then, after seven days of holding the reins, they hand the account over to the next “curator”. Most recently, it has been run by the Chief Executive of Leeds City Council Tom Riordan.

The founders of the project said it was a difficult decision to call it quits, but that it came after changes to the social media platform X, which was formerly Twitter.

In a statement, the admin said: “I’m genuinely heartbroken to announce that PeopleofLeeds is closing its doors in January 2024. The account will continue through the festive season and we’ll wrap up on 16 January 2024, which will be PoL's 12th anniversary.

“That's not bad for a project that I planned to run for three months.”

They added that they were concerned about hate speech on social media, as well as the way the information is gathered on the platform.

“Being the creator and a small part of this account has been the absolute best thing I've ever done, and I feel privileged that we've been invited to share in so many lives and be part of so many experiences in this awesome city,” they continued.

“I'm very sad that we're now turning people away who want to share their stories, as every single week I've learned something new about Leeds, about Loiners, and about lives.

“We've had weddings and babies, rallies and art exhibitions, Light Night and LIFF; and everything in between. The joy has been in not just the big moments, but the little ones that make the people of Leeds PeopleofLeeds.”

After today, the account will be archived, before it is then deleted.