Luke Ayling was the special guest at a Leeds United Foundation health and wellbeing session on Wednesday afternoon, joining around 40 members from the Social Goals programme.

Social Goals is a free initiative that is delivered weekly from Elland Road for people aged over 50, and it offers a chance for them to socialise, have fun and discuss all things Leeds United.

Over the course of the season the programme will welcome a number of guest speakers and during this week’s meeting they were treated to a special appearance from the Leeds United star, who was on hand to chat with everyone in attendance and find out more about what they get up to during the sessions. 

The left-back was also asked to get involved in a game that they have been playing for the last few months, with Luke asked to pick his all-time Leeds United XI that he has played alongside over his seven seasons with the club. As he made his way through from goalkeeper to strikers, the group asked a number of questions about his time with the club and the players he has played with and against.

Speaking during the visit, the 31-year-old said: “I’ve really enjoyed coming along today and seeing what this programme is all about. There are some great people that come along, and they clearly love coming down here, they asked me some good questions too, some harder than others but hopefully they enjoyed themselves and I was able to help put a smile on their faces.”

The Social Goals programme has been running since the end of last season, and it was designed to help combat loneliness and social isolation for those in our local community. The sessions are there to provide a safe space for conversation and discussion, whilst also providing a ‘heat hub’ for some people who may be struggling with their electricity bills in the current climate.

If you would like more information on the Social Goals project or any of the other Health and Wellbeing programmes, please contact Simon.Wood@leedsunited.com.