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Blog
We’re all Active Calderdale - and our case studies and helpful resources will help you find out more about what that means across our community. Meet our Active Champions and find tips to help you get started. When we move, we’re stronger.
News
Discovering confidence through movement
Qudsia Naeem - 40, Park Ward Before joining the gym, I didn’t really have many consistent opportunities to stay active. I would sometimes sign up for classes or activities, like a local squash club, usually because people I knew were involved. I always gave them a try, but they never lasted long. I’ve always enjoyed being active, so it was always disappointing when those opportunities came to an end. There were also a number of barriers that made it harder to take part regula
Active Calderdale
Jun 233 min read
Rastrick's Active Champion
The Space @ Field Lane is a well‑established community centre at the heart of Field Lane, Rastrick. It offers a wide range of services for local residents, including a warm space, exercise sessions, bingo nights, a community café, and more. Active Calderdale has been working in partnership with The Space for several years to embed physical activity into the centre’s core offer. Although various exercise classes were set up, it became clear that the insight and connection of a
Active Calderdale
Jun 155 min read
I didn't think exercise was for me!
Nasreen Akhtar – 51, Park Ward Physical activity was never really on my radar and wasn’t something I saw as being “for someone like me.” I’m in my 50s, a wife, mother and grandmother, and I’ve always believed my role in the home was to care for my family and look after the house – cooking, cleaning and everything in between. This is what I grew up knowing, and it’s what feels normal to me. I don’t see it as a burden, but I also didn’t realise what opportunities were available
Active Calderdale
Jun 112 min read
Parks & green spaces
Ben’s Story: A whole different ball game
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.
Active Calderdale
Dec 10, 20251 min read
Bringing North Halifax parks to life
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. Belo
Active Calderdale
Dec 10, 20252 min read
Breaking down barriers for events in parks
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
Active Calderdale
Nov 10, 20252 min read
People like me
Discovering confidence through movement
Qudsia Naeem - 40, Park Ward Before joining the gym, I didn’t really have many consistent opportunities to stay active. I would sometimes sign up for classes or activities, like a local squash club, usually because people I knew were involved. I always gave them a try, but they never lasted long. I’ve always enjoyed being active, so it was always disappointing when those opportunities came to an end. There were also a number of barriers that made it harder to take part regula
Active Calderdale
Jun 233 min read
I didn't think exercise was for me!
Nasreen Akhtar – 51, Park Ward Physical activity was never really on my radar and wasn’t something I saw as being “for someone like me.” I’m in my 50s, a wife, mother and grandmother, and I’ve always believed my role in the home was to care for my family and look after the house – cooking, cleaning and everything in between. This is what I grew up knowing, and it’s what feels normal to me. I don’t see it as a burden, but I also didn’t realise what opportunities were available
Active Calderdale
Jun 112 min read
Finding my feet in Park Ward
Rukhsar Ali - 31, Park Ward A year or so ago, I stopped going to the gym and gradually became less active. Over time, I gained weight and started to feel really low about myself. I reached a point where I knew I needed to make a change. Rejoining the gym wasn’t easy; it took a lot of encouragement from the staff and the friends I’d made there previously. But eventually, I took that step, and I haven’t looked back since. At first, it felt really daunting. One day, the gym was
Active Calderdale
Jun 112 min read
Schools & education
STARS funding for Calderdale schools
Primary schools across Calderdale are being supported to make journeys to school healthier, safer, and more sustainable through the Modeshift STARS accreditation scheme. The national programme helps schools develop and deliver travel plans that encourage pupils and families to choose active and sustainable travel options such as walking, wheeling, cycling, and public transport. By reducing car use around school gates, the initiative also helps tackle issues like congestion,
Active Calderdale
Mar 112 min read
St Malachy's Active Travel Success
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
Active Calderdale
Jan 273 min read
Cycling Boost at Ferney Lee Primary
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
Active Calderdale
Jan 122 min read
Health & Social Care
Making memories through movement
Santosh and her daughter Satvinder moved to Calderdale a few years ago after spending much of their lives relocating across the country through Satvinder’s career in filmmaking. Today, Satvinder is not only a creative professional but also a committed carer to her mum, who lives with a learning disability alongside a range of physical and mental health challenges. After arriving in Calderdale, they faced significant difficulties in accessing the right support and, at one poin
Active Calderdale
Jun 102 min read
LINCed in with Adult Services
For Jane, staying active isn’t as simple as going for a walk or popping out for the day. Living with long-term nerve damage and heart complications, including a triple heart bypass 25 years ago, means every day looks a little different.
Active Calderdale
Apr 142 min read
Active teams in Adult Services
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
Active Calderdale
Feb 113 min read
Workplaces
Getting Moving at Pennine GP Alliance
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
Active Calderdale
Nov 24, 20252 min read
Active Teams - Every move counts
Since March 2024, Active Teams , funded through Active Calderdale, have collaborated with the Personalised Long Term Support Team within Calderdale Council to offer physical activity and wellbeing challenges to staff. This month, we are expanding the offer across all CMBC Adult Services directorate as well as within Pennine GP Alliance (PGPA). The first Primary Care Network to take part will be Calder & Ryburn. Actions Taken and Changes Delivered September has been a busy mon
Active Calderdale
Sep 30, 20253 min read
Active Competition Inspires Family Support Services
Staff and families go head-to-head for the most active visits.
Active Calderdale
Nov 14, 20241 min read
Voluntary & community
Discovering confidence through movement
Qudsia Naeem - 40, Park Ward Before joining the gym, I didn’t really have many consistent opportunities to stay active. I would sometimes sign up for classes or activities, like a local squash club, usually because people I knew were involved. I always gave them a try, but they never lasted long. I’ve always enjoyed being active, so it was always disappointing when those opportunities came to an end. There were also a number of barriers that made it harder to take part regula
Active Calderdale
Jun 233 min read
Rastrick's Active Champion
The Space @ Field Lane is a well‑established community centre at the heart of Field Lane, Rastrick. It offers a wide range of services for local residents, including a warm space, exercise sessions, bingo nights, a community café, and more. Active Calderdale has been working in partnership with The Space for several years to embed physical activity into the centre’s core offer. Although various exercise classes were set up, it became clear that the insight and connection of a
Active Calderdale
Jun 155 min read
I didn't think exercise was for me!
Nasreen Akhtar – 51, Park Ward Physical activity was never really on my radar and wasn’t something I saw as being “for someone like me.” I’m in my 50s, a wife, mother and grandmother, and I’ve always believed my role in the home was to care for my family and look after the house – cooking, cleaning and everything in between. This is what I grew up knowing, and it’s what feels normal to me. I don’t see it as a burden, but I also didn’t realise what opportunities were available
Active Calderdale
Jun 112 min read
Active Inspiration
Creating active park resources
As part of our ongoing focus on parks and green spaces, Active Calderdale has been developing a new set of park map resource leaflets, designed to help people discover the many ways they can be active right on their doorstep. These maps are more than just guides. They’re conversation starters, created especially for practitioners who work with local residents, from social prescribers and community connectors to wellbeing coaches and activity leaders. Each leaflet highlights w
Active Calderdale
Oct 21, 20251 min read
Exploring the past and present along Mixenden's interactive trails
In August 2024 the Wild Walk and History Hike were installed following various steps of co-design and co-production.
Active Calderdale
Nov 19, 20243 min read
Football Focus: Walking Football
Getting active is the name of the game for a collection of walking footballers at the Mark Duffy Football School, and they are loving it!
Active Calderdale
Dec 1, 20232 min read
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