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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 Facebook 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 basics, taught me how to control the b

I’m Ben, I’m 19, and I live in Mixenden. Before the new basketball court was built at Mixenden Urban Park, the old one was basically unusable. The surface was uneven and covered in loose, broken rocks, and the hoops were bent, distorted, and missing nets. Basketball has always been a passion of mine, but this was the only court anywhere near me. Because of how bad it was, I could only spend an hour or so a week practising, and even then, it was hard to get anything out of it.

North Halifax Partnership (NHP) is a community-driven organisation dedicated to improving wellbeing and public services across North Halifax. One of the ways NHP brings people together is through inclusive, family-friendly events held in local parks, many of which have been enhanced through the Active Parks fund. These improvements are already making a difference, creating safer, more welcoming spaces for residents to enjoy and increasing park usage throughout the year. Below

At Pennine GP Alliance , a small idea is making a big difference to how staff move through their working day. General Practice Physical Activity Champion Hannah Davies spotted a couple of simple opportunities to get colleagues moving more: while waiting for the kettle to boil, and during the lunch break. Her goal? To make movement a normal part of office life, something everyone can do together, without it feeling like “exercise.” To kick things off, Hannah designed a poster

Pennine GP Alliance (PGPA) launched a new pilot project earlier this year to explore how conversations about physical activity can be made a routine part of GP consultations. To help make that happen, a tool called the General Practitioner Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ) was introduced to the Personalised Care team. It’s a simple, validated way to find out how active someone is and to spark a chat about what might help them move a little more.   The idea is to see wh

Halifax Panthers Foundation  are the official charity of the Halifax Panthers RLFC and is dedicated to fostering community unity, wellbeing and empowerment through sport, education and social initiatives in Calderdale. Actions taken and changes delivered With investment secured over 3 years through Active Calderdale, Halifax Panthers Foundation will be developing and expanding inclusive Rugby League opportunities through their  L earning D isability S uper L eague (LDSL),   P

Calderdale’s parks and green spaces are some of our greatest assets, places where people come together to relax, play, celebrate, and get active. The more our parks are used, the safer and more welcoming they become for everyone. That’s why Calderdale Council has been working to make it easier for local groups, charities, and organisations to host events and activities in our parks and green spaces. Breaking down barriers In the past, one of the biggest barriers to organisin

In 2024, Cargodale , a cargo bike delivery service operating across the Calder Valley, received funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority  to establish a community active travel hub. By April 2025, this vision came to life with the launch of Todmorden Stroll and Roll . Encouraging Active Travel in Todmorden Stroll and Roll was created to promote walking and cycling across the Calder Valley, with a particular focus on Todmorden, where the hub is based. The initiative

The North Halifax Partnership continues to champion community wellbeing through meaningful engagement and events. One recent success story is the transformation of community space in Mixenden, where the newly built Mixenden Urban Park  has become a vital hub for local connection and celebration. Previously, the Dodgeholme Tenants and Residents Group had no suitable outdoor space for their events, often resorting to hosting them on the street or on overgrown land by the river.

Noah's Ark is a grant-funded charity whose work includes counselling sessions for 5-15-year-olds. As a frontline service with direct contact with young people and schools, they were identified as an 'Active Partner' to help young people in crisis to find improved mental wellbeing through being physically active. A workshop with 12 practitioners helped identify opportunities for “active conversations” during counselling. Together, they compiled 16 practical suggestions for i

Back in September, 10-year-old Isaac won several medals whilst representing Team GB at the Special Olympics North West Swimming Gala in Blackpool. Since joining the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) swimming lesson programme at Sowerby Bridge Pool, Isaac has flourished into a strong swimmer and was able to start training as a Team GB athlete at a competitive swimming club. Isaac came away with a Gold, Silver, 4th place and a super speeding ticket where he took

Since spring 2023, there’s been plenty of talk about creating a community garden in the heart of Cornholme. After identifying the green space next to Vale Baptist Church as the perfect spot, Active Calderdale worked with landowners Todmorden Town Council to draw up plans that included wheelchair-accessible raised beds, community vegetable growing, improved paths, and better seating. With funding approved in May 2024, Todmorden Town Council developed the space and supported t

Ravenscliffe High School is a specialist school for students aged 11–19 with clearly identified special educational needs. People with special educational needs and disabilities often have lower-than-average rates of participation in physical activity. To support pupils and their families, the school was approached to become an Active School. Their expertise was also sought to help adapt the Calderdale Active Schools (CAS) Framework  to suit the needs of a specialist setting

The North Halifax Partnership (NHP)  is a community-focused organisation based in Halifax, West Yorkshire. It delivers a wide range of initiatives designed to improve local wellbeing and strengthen public services. The NHP has been a key partner in system change work with Parks and Green Spaces (GSSS) and now leads on several Park Partnership Groups across North Halifax, including Mixenden , Beechwood Park , and Shroggs Park . These groups are helping to develop a community-l

" I live with my wife in Rastrick and I'm a member of St. Matthew's Anglican & Methodist Church. Staying physically active has always been important to me. Over the years, I’ve found different ways to keep moving, whether it’s going for short walks, heading out on cycle rides, or enjoying horse riding. These activities not only help me stay fit but also give me a sense of freedom and connection to the outdoors. Recently, my doctor recommended I try Pilates to help improve my

Siddal Litter Picking Taskforce Siddal Community Clean-Up are a litter-picking taskforce initiated by local resident, Toni Holmes, in April 2021.   Toni's Story When Toni moved into the area, she started walking to help her lose weight. At first, she’d stroll through Exley and along the A629, until one day she discovered the canal. That became her go-to route, a 3-mile round trip from her front door that took about an hour, well… depending on how long she stopped to watch the

If you’ve visited Calderdale’s parks recently, you may have noticed the old signs — plain green and white boards, simply displaying the park’s name and council logo. Residents felt these were uninviting and lacked useful information. Listening to the community has been central to our approach. When a new sign was planned for Mixenden Urban Park, the initial options didn’t meet expectations. This prompted Active Calderdale Project Manager Gemma Beckwith to work closely with t

The Active Communities & Places team has been working in Park Ward to understand which assets they can influence to embed the promotion of physical activity as part of what they do. One opportunity came through teaming up with the Calderdale Cancer Awareness Project (CAP), where they looked at how to build on the great work already happening. The Calderdale Cancer Awareness project is a powerful collaboration between Halifax Opportunities Trust and Macmillan Cancer Support

I’m 52 years old and I’ve lived in the Park Ward community my whole life. For many years, I led a fairly inactive lifestyle, especially after developing some long-term health conditions due to an accident. After struggling to find motivation to work out, I found myself lazy, spending most of my time at home with very little routine or motivation to do more. The staff and volunteers at Unique Community Hub were very welcoming and helpful from the first day I joined. The Hub w