Damien Hirst and Danny Malin join forces for Leeds homeless charity’s upcoming art auction

Homeless Street Angels, the multi-award-winning Leeds charity, has announced the 'Art from the Heart 2026' event will take place on March 14.

The evening will feature a signed piece by world-renowned artist Damien Hirst, alongside a special contribution from local legend, Yorkshire Evening Post columnist and YouTube star Danny Malin to kick off the auction.

Founded and run by sisters Becky and Shelley Joyce, Homeless Street Angels has become a lifeline in Leeds. Since its inception eight years ago, the charity has evolved from a weekly outreach program into a pivotal support system providing food parcels for over 850 families and helping individuals move from the streets into stable homes.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Shelley explained the renewed involvement of Hirst: “We started doing the art auctions last year, and we contacted Damien Hirst on Facebook, who offered to send a piece over if we covered the £500 shipping fee. This was a bit of a red flag, so after some investigation, we realised it was a scam and a false Facebook account.

“This went viral over social media, and one of our volunteers managed to speak to the real Damien’s manager, who sent over a real, signed print. And yet again for this year’s auction. Which is amazing - we are truly grateful.”

As for Danny Malin’s involvement, Shelley revealed that his wife and he “have been great supporters of our charity for a few years now”, with Danny one of last year’s auctioneers.

“As a joke, Danny quickly drew a picture which someone bought for £10, so he has done it again this year.”

The March 14 auction carries deep personal significance as it coincides with the birthday month of the sisters' late sibling, Abi, in whose memory the charity’s support centre was founded.

With no government funding, the charity relies entirely on public donations to maintain its weekly street outreach and the wide range of classes offered at Abi House.

Shelley admits that “as we are not government funded, literally every penny counts,” and sadly, the number of homeless people they have come across in the city has seen a dramatic increase, including their foodbank, which has almost 1000 clients waiting on its register.

“So we’re busier than ever,” Shelley continued. “We have been fundraising for the last eight years to get our support centre ‘Abi House’, which we opened in November 2024.

Since opening the centre, we have been able to expand our team and expand our services to meet the increasing demand.”

Speaking about the return of the event, Shelley highlighted the success of their previous efforts and the ambition for this year's showcase.

“Following on from last year's art exhibition, where we raised nearly £4,000, Becky had the crazy idea to do it all over again," she explained.

"We’ve had some amazing donations, and yet again, Damien Hirst has donated another fabulous piece - a signed poster called Where the Land Meets the Sea. We are very grateful".

In a recent call to action shared on the charity's Facebook page, the charity implored the city's creative community to get behind the cause.

"Now come on all you artists of Leeds, why not do something amazing for an amazing charity?" they wrote. "We will be showcasing and also auctioning some of our clients' work from our amazing art classes.

Please get in touch and get involved with Art from the Heart 2026 - we need your artwork".

The ‘Art from the Heart 2026’ exhibition and auction will welcome visitors to the showcase from 4pm onwards and is set to be hosted at the charity’s dedicated support centre, Abi House, located at 6 Sheepscar Court in Leeds.

For those eager to secure one of the unique lots - including the signed Damien Hirst poster - bidding can be conducted in person during the exhibition. However if you are unable to attend on the day but still wish to support the charity, you can register your interest and submit bids via email in advance.

This flexible approach ensures that everyone has a chance to participate in this spotlight moment for the Leeds art community while contributing to a crucial local cause.