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When a friend first invited 71-year-old Sylvia to an exercise class at The Space @ Field Lane , she didn’t quite know what to expect. They started with the keep-fit session after lunch, and from the very first class, Sylvia knew it was something she wanted to continue. Although she had done a little bit of exercise before, joining the Friday Gentle Exercise class with Jackie gave her something consistent and supportive to look forward to each week. The sessions are friendly a

The Adult Services and Wellbeing directorate works every day to support people with care and support needs to live the best lives they can. But supporting wellbeing isn’t just about the people we work with, it’s also about the staff who make that support possible. As part of the wider Active Social Care project, a new focus has been placed on helping staff become more active themselves. The aim is simple: when staff experience the physical and mental benefits of movement firs

In June 2024, Steven first became involved with Adult Services at a time when life felt overwhelming. As the main carer for his wife, CS, who lives with early-onset dementia/Alzheimer’s, Steven was supporting every aspect of daily living, from personal care to ensuring her safety. The demands of caring had left little room for anything else. He was exhausted, had lost weight, and simply didn’t have time to think about his own wellbeing. Like many carers, he also felt unsure a

Paula Williams, age 54 I’ve always had an interest in physical activity and have long recognised the positive impact it has on both my mental and physical wellbeing. I first took up running in my early 40s. At the time, I had young children and faced financial barriers to accessing other activities, so running felt like something simple and achievable. I’d also experienced breast cancer at the age of 38 and was determined to do everything I could to stay fit and healthy and r

Role:  Shared Lives Worker Service:  Shared Lives Focus:  Health improvement, wellbeing, independence, and community inclusion Background As part of my role within the Shared Lives Service , I provide regular monitoring, support, and guidance to individuals and their carers to ensure arrangements are safe, effective, and person-centred. This includes quarterly monitoring meetings, ongoing communication, and proactive problem-solving to improve outcomes. One individual I suppo

Sudheer Shabir – PCN Manager, Halifax Central Like many people, I tend to “yo-yo” between being very active and not active at all. It’s easy for me to slip into the familiar pattern of tomorrow… a couple of days… next week  when it comes to exercise. I play football weekly, but over the past year, I haven’t done much beyond that. If I’m honest, the biggest barriers have been the excuses I make to myself. Things changed when Hannah Davies, our General Practice Physical Activit

Pennine GP Alliance, which is now embedded in the Lower Valley Primary Care Network (PCN) in Brighouse, has always had one clear mission: to improve community wellbeing and tackle health inequalities. When the team looked closely at local needs, they spotted a big gap. While people wanted more ways to stay active, there weren’t many opportunities for accessible, community-based cycling or active travel groups. This inspired the idea for an Active Travel Hub, a space to suppor

In late July, The Basement Recovery Project contacted Calderdale Council with a simple but powerful idea: could they access a small number of bikes to support their volunteers and help deliver cycling sessions? What followed was the start of a partnership that went far beyond bike provision, creating lasting impact through skills, confidence, and community connection. A Partnership Built on Shared Values Active Calderdale reached out to Project Colt in Elland, the team behi

St Malachy’s Primary School in Halifax continues to go from strength to strength on its Active Travel journey, demonstrating a long-standing commitment to pupil wellbeing, physical activity, and sustainable travel. As one of the original Active School Trailblazers, St Malachy’s has consistently championed initiatives that encourage children and families to move more. After joining the Active Schools programme in 2021, the school quickly embedded a range of interventions that

Move more. Travel better. Earn rewards.   BetterPoints* West Yorkshire is a new programme that rewards people for making healthier, greener travel choices. Whether it’s walking to work, taking the bus, cycling to the shops, or simply getting more active in your day, you can earn rewards and win prizes.  From January 2026, everyone who lives, works, or studies in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds or Wakefield can take part.   What is BetterPoints? BetterPoints is a behavi

Supporting Active Lives Halifax Central Initiative (HCI) plays a vital role in supporting people from Eastern European communities to navigate everyday life in Calderdale. Through its dedicated Eastern European Service, individuals can access practical support with tasks such as understanding and paying bills, attending GP appointments, and managing other essential aspects of daily living. At the heart of this service is Blazena Pancikova, a dedicated project worker who prov

2025 Winter Celebration In the heart of Sowerby Bridge, St Paul’s Methodist Church stands as a welcoming community hub where people gather, connect and support one another. On Thursday, 11 December, its main hall became the festive and vibrant setting for the first We’re All Active Calderdale Winter Celebration for Sowerby and Sowerby Bridge. The event brought together over fifty people, including representatives from community groups, clubs, volunteer organisations and resid

What began as a simple request for funding quickly became something far more impactful for Ferney Lee Primary School and Nursery. An initial enquiry about cycle helmets opened the door to a wider conversation about the school’s enthusiasm for cycling and its commitment to helping every child learn to ride. That conversation revealed a set of well-loved balance bikes in daily use, a passionate team of staff, and a clear ambition to build pupils’ confidence from an early age. S

Winter Celebration 2025 On a dark, wet, and wintry December afternoon in Cornholme, Vale Baptist Church offered a welcome contrast, glowing with light, warmth, and conversation. Around forty people came together to reflect on and celebrate the positive changes taking shape locally at the first We’re All Active Calderdale Winter Celebration. Despite the cold outside, the atmosphere inside was upbeat and energising. The event marked a moment to pause, look back on what has been

Name: Sam, Active Travel Coordinator at North Halifax Partnership (NHP) Training: Active Calderdale Walk Leader Training (Free!) First Walk: 5 participants – a dad, his son, a friend, and two colleagues Goal: Make walking more accessible, social, and meaningful in Halifax communities Living and working in Halifax, Sam knew how many barriers people face when it comes to being active. However, through his role as Active Travel Coordinator at North Halifax Partnership (NHP),

CalderGold Health & Fitness was born from lived experience, deep community roots, and a belief that everyone deserves to feel strong, supported, and confident at every stage of life. Founded by health coach Robert McDonald, CalderGold represents more than 15 years of experience in the health and fitness industry, combined with a lifelong connection to the Calderdale communities of Greetland, Barkisland, Holywell Green, Stainland, and the surrounding villages. Robert’s guiding

Children learn an enormous amount during their time at school, with the foundations laid in Early Years education. This formative stage is when cognitive and motor skills develop most rapidly, shaping children’s future learning and overall development. Central to this are fundamental movement skills such as balancing, coordinating, throwing, catching, running, jumping, turning, and anticipating movement within a dynamic environment. Simply put, children need the physical conf

Founded in 2021, Todmorden Makery is a member and volunteer-run workshop built on a simple idea: repairing and making things is good for the planet and good for people. In just a few years, it has grown into a thriving community space with over 700 registered users, many of whom started as visitors and stayed on as active members or volunteers. The Makery is shaped by the ideas and feedback of the people who use it. Its focus is on practical skills, shared learning and commu

Resident A I live in Rastrick and I’m currently living on my own after coming out of a long, controlling marriage. That experience left me isolated from my family and friends, and rebuilding my confidence has been incredibly challenging. Both my therapist and counsellor encouraged me to start getting out more and to be around people again, but taking those first steps felt overwhelming. The Parish Centre at St Matthew’s has played a major part in helping me move forward. It h

I’m Maisy, I’m 18, and I’m from North Halifax. I first heard about the Beechwood Youth Bash on North Halifax Partnership's Facebook page and noticed they were running a free pop-up skatepark. I’d always been interested in skating and wanted to learn, so I decided to go along to one of the Wednesday evening sessions, without really knowing what to expect. I ended up having an amazing time. Hardy, the skatepark coach from Skate It Yourself, was brilliant. He showed me the basi