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Women seeking refuge and asylum can face a range of barriers to being physically active, including caring responsibilities, language barriers, cost, cultural expectations and a lack of access to women-only opportunities. Over the past year, St Augustine's Centre in Halifax has worked to address some of these barriers by developing and delivering a range of women-only activities. These included fitness sessions, walks, visits to Hardcastle Crags with the National Trust, and ro

How Calderdale is creating more active places When people think about increasing physical activity, they often think of gyms, sports clubs or exercise programmes. But one of the biggest opportunities to improve health lies somewhere less obvious: the places we live, work and travel in every day. As Calderdale continues to grow, the Local Plan will shape thousands of homes, streets and neighbourhoods for generations to come. This presented an important question: if development

People with learning disabilities, family carers and support organisations came together at Forest Cottage to celebrate Learning Disability Week with a fun-filled day of activities, information sharing and community spirit. Hosted by Lead the Way, a service that supports adults with learning disabilities and their family carers across Calderdale, the event brought together around 50 attendees for a day focused on wellbeing, inclusion and connection. Alongside a range of infor

Adult Services staff across Calderdale have been putting their best foot forward and achieving incredible results thanks to a workplace activity challenge delivered by Active Teams. To mark National Walking Month in May, staff were invited to take part in a virtual journey along the iconic Pennine Way. The challenge encouraged colleagues to get moving, with every mile travelled through activities such as walking, running and swimming helping their team progress along the 268-

A new fitness class is helping people in Rastrick get active, build confidence and have fun while doing it. Boogie Bounce, a trampoline-based exercise class at The Space @ Field Lane, has quickly become one of the centre's most popular activities, attracting around 23 participants each week and generating so much interest that the team added a second weekly session. The classes are the latest example of how The Space @ Field Lane has embedded physical activity into everyday c

Creating safe, attractive and accessible outdoor spaces is only part of the journey towards helping people become more active. Equally important is ensuring local residents know about the improvements that have been made and feel confident using these spaces. That's where community activation events play a vital role, bringing people together, encouraging activity and helping residents reconnect with their local parks and green spaces. This summer, Bramston Gardens in Rastric

Carers Count Calderdale provides free, independent, high-quality support to unpaid carers aged 18 and over across Calderdale. The service offers information and advice, emergency planning, peer support groups, training, events and activities, signposting to other services, and specialist support for young adult carers (18-25) and those caring for people with mental ill-health. Prior to the project, many carers accessing the service highlighted a need for some "time to breathe

IMT Forever CIC, known as Inspire. Motivate. Transform. (IMT), is a social enterprise supporting local communities to improve physical activity, mental health and wellbeing. Based in Cornholme, Todmorden, IMT delivers classes, workshops and community events across the area, from Hebden Bridge to Bacup, helping people strengthen connections and lead healthier lives. A key focus of IMT's work is supporting older adults and people with mobility challenges through gentle, coordin

Shroggs Park in North Halifax is becoming an even more welcoming and active space for local children, young people, and residents thanks to a successful community sports project delivered by Calderdale College. As the largest Further Education provider in Calderdale, Calderdale College is committed to supporting young people both in and beyond the classroom. Alongside providing high-quality education for learners aged 14+, the college also delivers outreach programmes for chi

Over 400 residents and 14 local organisations came together to take part in the Park Ward Around the World Challenge, a community-led physical activity initiative designed to encourage people to move more while strengthening community connections. Created through a series of co-design sessions involving local organisations and community representatives, the challenge was built around a simple but ambitious goal: work together to complete a virtual journey around the world by

Feeling safe and confident in your community is something everyone deserves. That's why The Space @ Field Lane Community Hub recently hosted a free self-defence workshop for women, empowering residents with practical skills and increased confidence. The idea for the workshop came directly from conversations with women in the community. Through informal discussions with residents, staff at The Space identified concerns around personal safety, particularly when walking alone at

On Saturday 11 July, people from across Calderdale gathered at Savile Park in Halifax to take part in the annual Overgate Hospice Colour Run, enjoying a day filled with colour, fun and fundraising. More than 1,700 participants joined the event, which has become a highlight of the local calendar. The 5 kilometre route takes runners around Savile Park playing fields, where they are showered with coloured powder at various points along the course. The event ends with a lively "C

Event: Magic Weekend 2026 Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool Fixture: Halifax Panthers LDSL vs Sheffield Eagles LDSL (2 matches) Halifax Panthers Learning Disability Super League team had the privilege of taking part in Magic Weekend, one of rugby league's showcase events, at the Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool. Nineteen players travelled to represent the club, with every member of the squad featuring across two fixtures against Sheffield Eagles LDSL. The event prov

Joanne Aston, 58, from Littleborough, working in Todmorden I have always been active, but probably even more so over the last 35 years, especially after having my children. Being active has always been something I enjoy. Whether it's walking, running, getting out into the hills, spending time in parks or following canal paths, I love being outdoors and enjoying the fresh air. Alongside outdoor activities, I've also enjoyed a variety of gym classes over the years, including ki

Before joining Active Teams, I was already reasonably active. I attended the gym three to five times a week, with my main focus being weight training, alongside some light cardio on the exercise bike and regular walking. If I'm honest, I would have firmly placed myself in the "no cardio" category. Having been plus-size all my life, cardio never felt particularly comfortable for me and, when I was younger, it was something I avoided for a variety of reasons. Discovering Active

Through our workplace wellbeing project, Active Calderdale worked with North Halifax Primary Care Network (PCN) and staff from two of its GP practices to explore simple ways of building more movement into the working day. Before joining the project, the PCN had identified a growing need to support staff wellbeing. Many team members spent long periods working at desks and on computers, with limited opportunities to take breaks or be physically active during the day. Together,

In February 2025, a new Under 16s girls' rugby team was established at Siddal Rugby Club by just five players and two committed volunteers. At the time, there were no local rugby opportunities available for girls in this age group, leaving many young people without access to the sport. Since then, the team has gone from strength to strength. Thanks to the dedication of players, coaches and volunteers, the squad has grown to more than 20 players, supported by up to four coache

Old Earth Primary School has been working with Modeshift to help make journeys to and from school safer, healthier and more sustainable. Through the Modeshift STARS and Active Travel Inspectors (ATI) programmes, pupils are playing an active role in identifying practical improvements that could encourage more people to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport for everyday journeys. Pupils at the Heart of the Project The project brings together several partners, including Mod

Active Calderdale is continuing to support St Malachy’s Primary School in Halifax as it strengthens its commitment to active and sustainable travel. Working in partnership with Calderdale’s Modeshift Officer, Sophie Kirkby, the school is developing its Travel Plan and encouraging more pupils and families to walk, wheel, cycle and scoot to school. St Malachy’s achievements were recently celebrated during a WOW – Park & Stride event delivered by Living Streets, where the school

Tazim Akhtar - 54, Park Ward Before joining the walking group, I wasn’t very active apart from looking after my grandchildren. I spent a lot of time at home, and because I enjoy sewing, much of my day involved sitting down. Over time, this led to weight gain as well as back problems and general aches and pains. When I was younger, I was always active, but as I’ve gotten older, that has changed. I realised I needed to start moving more again, otherwise my health would continue