Activating People's Park

The Park Ward Parks & Greenspaces Partnership Group is working hard to make local parks and green spaces in the area safer, more welcoming, and easier for everyone to enjoy. This group brings together council services, local councillors, and a range of voluntary and community organisations to drive positive change.

Together, they’ve developed improvement plans for several local spaces, including People's Park.

During community consultations, residents said they wanted more fun and engaging activities in the park. In response, the group joined forces with ParkPlay and the Unique Community Hub to bring Park Ward ParkPlay to life, officially launching on Saturday, 10 May.

A Fantastic Start for Park Ward ParkPlay!

The launch of Park Ward ParkPlay has been nothing short of a triumph, bringing energy, laughter and connection to People's Park. The first session on Saturday 10 May drew 106 attendees, closely followed by 103 the next weekend — filling the park with families, fun and a sense of community. The sessions have created a safe, exciting environment where people of all ages can be active and enjoy the outdoors together.

Ben Trotter, Delivery and Impact Manager at ParkPlay, praised the teamwork behind the success:

"The launch of Park Ward ParkPlay has been a massive success due to the local connections Unique Community Hub have with the community. Active Calderdale supported Unique Hub to get on board with ParkPlay and everything has been seamless. I believe ParkPlay will go from strength to strength."

Toyaba Ali from Unique Hub agreed:

"An amazing start to ParkPlay! With over 200 people engaged in our first two sessions, it's been fantastic to see families spending quality time together, getting active and enjoying the great outdoors at People's Park!"

Community Reaction

Local residents were equally enthusiastic.

"I love being able to get involved and play games with my kids. It’s nice to get away from daily chores and model healthy habits for children — and myself! I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun."Park Ward Parkplay attendee

Another said:

"We love coming to the Hub, but now we get to come to the park and get another session! I’ve never played archery before and I’m really good at it now."Park Ward Parkplay attendee

A regular park visitor added:

"I often come to the park for my early morning walks and I’ve never seen it this busy! It’s great to see so many people from all communities having a good time. I’m definitely going to bring my grandchildren next week. A fantastic achievement, well done to all involved!"Regular People's Park Visitor

Anthony Whittaker summed up the wider impact:

"We're delighted ParkPlay has successfully launched in Park Ward, helping to create a safer environment with inclusive ways to be active whilst visiting the park. ParkPlay is for everyone to enjoy, and I'd like to thank ParkPlay, Unique Hub and all partners who helped promote the initiative leading up to the launch."Anthony Whittaker - Public Health Practitioner, Calderdale Council

Don’t miss out — join Park Ward ParkPlay every Saturday at People’s Park from 11am to 1pm!