Halifax Central Initiative’s Eastern European Service

Supporting Active Lives

Halifax Central Initiative (HCI) plays a vital role in supporting people from Eastern European communities to navigate everyday life in Calderdale. Through its dedicated Eastern European Service, individuals can access practical support with tasks such as understanding and paying bills, attending GP appointments, and managing other essential aspects of daily living.

At the heart of this service is Blazena Pancikova, a dedicated project worker who provides trusted, culturally sensitive support to people from Eastern European backgrounds. While the service already offered strong wraparound support, it became clear there was an opportunity to go further by introducing conversations about physical activity into everyday support.

Working Together to Build Activity into Everyday Support

Recognising this opportunity, Active Calderdale worked alongside HCI to help the service promote physical activity as a natural part of its offer, rather than something separate or additional.

As a result of this collaboration, several important changes have taken place:

• Blazena now has access to translated resources, including the Active Conversations booklet in Czech, alongside the local activity guide.

• Conversations about movement and physical activity are now embedded into routine support sessions, even when people attend for unrelated reasons.

• Blazena is due to begin Active Conversations training, further increasing her confidence and capability in supporting people to be active.

• There is an increased awareness of local opportunities to be active, helping people find options that feel accessible and relevant.

• Blazena is also leading on work to better understand how Eastern European communities feel about local opportunities to be active, ensuring future support reflects real experiences and needs.

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These changes may seem small, but they are already making a meaningful difference.

Real Stories, Real Impact

Story One: A 55-year-old Roma woman came to the service seeking support with other areas of her life. Towards the end of the session, Blazena used the newly translated Active Conversations resources to gently introduce the topic of physical activity.

Through this conversation, the woman identified her own reasons for wanting to move more and decided to start with a simple step: walking in her local park.

Since then, she has begun walking in the park three times a week and has also taken out a gym membership. The reported benefits have been significant; she has experienced a boost in confidence and found that being active has helped her develop a weekly routine, something she says has made a big difference to her overall wellbeing.

Story Two: A 65-year-old man of Czech nationality attended a meeting with Blazena to discuss an issue unrelated to physical activity. During the session, they looked through the Active Conversations booklet, translated into his native language.

Following this discussion, he joined a gym and now enjoys swimming regularly. He has since reported that increasing his activity levels has had a positive impact on both his physical and mental wellbeing.

Seeing the Difference First-Hand

Reflecting on the impact of this work, Blazena shared:

“I can already see a big difference. People are more confident, their mood is better and they tell me they have more energy. For some, it's the first time they've ever joined a group activity in the UK. Being active is helping them manage stress and improve their mental health, especially for those struggling with anxiety or low motivation.

I've also seen people make new friends, which is huge for reducing loneliness. Small steps, like walking together, trying the gym or attending a group class, are giving people a sense of achievement and purpose.”

Anthony Whittaker from Active Calderdale added:

“Making small changes within your organisation can make big differences, not only for the people you support, but also for the organisation itself. It’s been great to see the work Blazena has done and continues to do, and we’ll continue to support her and the service going forward.”

A Model for Meaningful Change

This work with the Halifax Central Initiative demonstrates how embedding physical activity into everyday conversations, supported by the right tools, training, and partnerships, can have a profound impact. By meeting people where they are, in a language they understand, small changes are helping individuals build confidence, establish routines, foster connections, and lead healthier lives.