The Leeds African Communities Charitable Trust (LACT) is a legally constituted voluntary community-based organisation in Leeds, West Yorkshire, established for the purpose of serving as the umbrella body for the diverse range of African community groups that are operating across the City of Leeds.
It was registered with the UK Charity Commission in October 2020 as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO), and granted Charity Status Number 1191879 to pursue the following objectives:
(1) The advancement of education for the public benefit, in particular but not exclusively, by providing information, advice, and guidance for people of African origin or descent in Leeds.
(2) The prevention or relief of poverty for people of African origin or descent in poverty or need due to their economic and social circumstances in Leeds by providing food items, clothing and toiletries, as well as advice and guidance in particular but not exclusively, for the public benefit in collaboration with other organisations working to prevent or relieve poverty.
The Leeds African Communities Charitable Trust, previously known as the Leeds African Communities Network, was born after a series of meetings organised by a group of concerned Africans, who initially came together under the auspices of Councillor Abigail Marshall-Katung to discuss the spate of xenophobic violence in South Africa against African migrants from other parts of the continent.