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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
OM's Powerlifting Journey
Blog kindly provided by St Augustine's Centre, Halifax. One of the best things about working at St Augustine's is the opportunity to meet people with incredible talents, skills and passions. OM is certainly one of those people. I still remember meeting OM shortly after he arrived in Calderdale. We shook hands, and I genuinely thought he might break the bones in my hand. Only afterwards did I discover I was shaking hands with a Paralympic powerlifter, which suddenly made a lot
Active Calderdale
Oct 263 min read
Bringing nature, history and community together at Brackenbed
Brackenbed is quickly becoming one of Halifax's most valuable green spaces. Thanks to recent improvements, more people than ever are discovering the site, connecting with nature and enjoying opportunities to be active outdoors. But investing in the space is only part of the story. Equally important is helping people make use of it. This summer, a series of community events has introduced many residents to Brackenbed for the very first time, showcasing not only its natural bea
Active Calderdale
Oct 193 min read
An Intergenerational Soundwalk Through Todmorden's Local Heritage
How do you preserve a town's treasured memories while inspiring people to get out, explore their surroundings and connect with one another? In Todmorden, the answer came through a unique project that brought together young people, local residents and community organisations to create an interactive journey through the town's rich heritage. The 'Soundwalk Through Todmorden's Heritage' project has transformed a stroll around Centre Vale Park into an opportunity to hear personal
Active Calderdale
Oct 154 min read
Parks & green spaces
Bringing nature, history and community together at Brackenbed
Brackenbed is quickly becoming one of Halifax's most valuable green spaces. Thanks to recent improvements, more people than ever are discovering the site, connecting with nature and enjoying opportunities to be active outdoors. But investing in the space is only part of the story. Equally important is helping people make use of it. This summer, a series of community events has introduced many residents to Brackenbed for the very first time, showcasing not only its natural bea
Active Calderdale
Oct 193 min read
Old-fashioned fun at Bramston Gardens
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
Active Calderdale
Sep 173 min read
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
People like me
OM's Powerlifting Journey
Blog kindly provided by St Augustine's Centre, Halifax. One of the best things about working at St Augustine's is the opportunity to meet people with incredible talents, skills and passions. OM is certainly one of those people. I still remember meeting OM shortly after he arrived in Calderdale. We shook hands, and I genuinely thought he might break the bones in my hand. Only afterwards did I discover I was shaking hands with a Paralympic powerlifter, which suddenly made a lot
Active Calderdale
Oct 263 min read
Breaking down barriers for refugee and asylum-seeking women
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
Active Calderdale
Oct 132 min read
Joanne's Active Teams story
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
Active Calderdale
Jul 163 min read
Schools & education
An Intergenerational Soundwalk Through Todmorden's Local Heritage
How do you preserve a town's treasured memories while inspiring people to get out, explore their surroundings and connect with one another? In Todmorden, the answer came through a unique project that brought together young people, local residents and community organisations to create an interactive journey through the town's rich heritage. The 'Soundwalk Through Todmorden's Heritage' project has transformed a stroll around Centre Vale Park into an opportunity to hear personal
Active Calderdale
Oct 154 min read
Old Earth school pupils leading the change
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
Jul 92 min read
St Malachy’s leading the way in Calderdale
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
Active Calderdale
Jul 12 min read
Health & Social Care
How LINC Embedded Active Social Care
For many people, maintaining independence is about more than receiving support. It's about continuing to do the things that matter most, staying connected to their community, and feeling confident in everyday life. That's why the LINC team embraced the Active Social Care approach, helping people see movement not simply as exercise, but as a powerful tool for achieving personal goals, improving wellbeing, and maintaining independence. Bringing Active Social Care into Everyday
Active Calderdale
4 days ago3 min read
Inclusive activity day brings the community together
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
Active Calderdale
Oct 132 min read
It's the Calderdale Way for Adult Services
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-
Active Calderdale
Oct 132 min read
Workplaces
Joanne's Active Teams story
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
Active Calderdale
Jul 163 min read
Jill's Active Teams story
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
Active Calderdale
Jul 162 min read
Supporting health and wellbeing at North Halifax PCN
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,
Active Calderdale
Jul 163 min read
Voluntary & community
OM's Powerlifting Journey
Blog kindly provided by St Augustine's Centre, Halifax. One of the best things about working at St Augustine's is the opportunity to meet people with incredible talents, skills and passions. OM is certainly one of those people. I still remember meeting OM shortly after he arrived in Calderdale. We shook hands, and I genuinely thought he might break the bones in my hand. Only afterwards did I discover I was shaking hands with a Paralympic powerlifter, which suddenly made a lot
Active Calderdale
Oct 263 min read
Bringing nature, history and community together at Brackenbed
Brackenbed is quickly becoming one of Halifax's most valuable green spaces. Thanks to recent improvements, more people than ever are discovering the site, connecting with nature and enjoying opportunities to be active outdoors. But investing in the space is only part of the story. Equally important is helping people make use of it. This summer, a series of community events has introduced many residents to Brackenbed for the very first time, showcasing not only its natural bea
Active Calderdale
Oct 193 min read
An Intergenerational Soundwalk Through Todmorden's Local Heritage
How do you preserve a town's treasured memories while inspiring people to get out, explore their surroundings and connect with one another? In Todmorden, the answer came through a unique project that brought together young people, local residents and community organisations to create an interactive journey through the town's rich heritage. The 'Soundwalk Through Todmorden's Heritage' project has transformed a stroll around Centre Vale Park into an opportunity to hear personal
Active Calderdale
Oct 154 min read
Active Inspiration
Park Ward challenge success
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
Active Calderdale
Aug 73 min read
A magic weekend for the Panthers' LDSL team
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
Active Calderdale
Jul 293 min read
Rediscovering People's Park
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
Active Calderdale
Jun 252 min read
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