News In Full

Here’s a great opportunity to drop in and have a chat with Sight Support Calderdale, who will have an information stall outside Marks and Spencer’s store in Halifax, 10am – 2pm on Friday 22 May.…

This event welcomes older people and disabled people (including people with sensory, mobility, learning disabilities, long term health conditions, communication needs, and neurodivergent people), as well as carers, friends and family. Here’s what the organisers say about the event: This event welcomes older people and disabled people (including people with sensory, mobility, learning disabilities, long term health conditions, communication needs, and neurodivergent people), as well as carers, friends and family. Event Details Date: Wednesday 3 June 2026 Time: Meet at 10.45am • Walk/wheel starts 11.00am • Finish 1.30pm Location: Centre Vale Park, Burnley Road, Todmorden, OL14 7BS Meeting point: Bowling Green Pavilion (inside the park) Centre Vale Park webpage: https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/leisure/parks-and-open-spaces/parks/centre-vale About the Event Enjoy your local greenspaces, breathe in the fresh air, connect with nature, meet new people and take time to recharge. We’ll move around the park together at a relaxed pace (walking or wheeling). We’ll also share a little about the park’s history and look out for plants and birds. We will take breaks as needed. Wear comfortable footwear and bring weather- appropriate clothing. Please bring a picnic if you would like. Tea and coffee will be provided. Booking and Information For bookings and more information, please email Lorraine: lorraine.accessiblecalderdale@gmail.com If you have any access requirements (e.g., seating, step-free routes, quiet space, BSL/communication support) or help with transport, please let us know when you book. Accessible parking and facilities available – details upon booking. Or phone/text Katie: 07908 624549…

27 JUNE – Experience Community will be leading a Social Ramble along the tow path to the 5 rises lock, Saltaire. The five-rise opened on 21 March 1774 and was a major feat of engineering at the time. When the locks and therefore the canal from Gargrave to Thackley was opened in 1774, a crowd of 30,000 people turned out to celebrate. The first boat to use the locks took just 28 minutes. The smaller Bingley Three Rises Locks opened at the same time just a few hundred yards downstream. Meeting at Salts Mill visitor car park – BD17 7EZ 11.00 am meet-up for an 11:30 start This will be a socially paced out and back ramble of around 3/4 hours long with opportunities to stop for a break or take photographs. There will be a stop to have a packed lunch so it is worth bringing food and drinks. Please check the weather and dress appropriately. If you have never tried a Mountain Trike before and/or have never attended an Experience Community ramble before, please contact them at info@experiencecommunity.co.uk before booking a space on the event so they can discuss it further with you. Full details and booking…

Here’s social event at the beautiful Kirkstall Abbey – Meet at Kirkstall Road main entrance…

9 JUNE – Experience Community are running a Fully funded 6 week Wheelchair Skills Course ate Rycroft Leisure, Ryhill, Wakefield Book Here The wheelchair skills course from Experience Community is designed for wheelchair users of all abilities and is being held at – Rycroft Leisure Centre, Ryhill, WF4 2BB There is no charge for this fully funded course. You only need to book 1 ticket for the full 6 week course. Beginning Tuesday 9th June, running every Tuesday until 14th July. There will be 2 time slots available – 11:45AM – 13:45PM or 14:15PM – 16:15PM The wheelchair skills course from Experience Community is designed for wheelchair users of all abilities, from novices to those seeking advanced skills. Topics covered include: Appropriate pushing techniques Manoeuvring in tight spaces Navigating through doors Negotiating slopes, steps, and challenging terrain The course progresses at a comfortable pace, gradually building confidence and introducing new elements when participants are ready. The course is led by disabled staff with lived experience of wheelchair use. Non-disabled staff and volunteers will support the course to ensure a safe experience. Book Here…

Here’s the line up of activities for May at Magpies. Magpies is an award-winning charity that believes adults with learning disabilities deserve to live life to the full. They are based in North Halifax and offer a fun and friendly learning environment, offering a wide variety of activities and opportunities including sports, arts, music, media, dance and much more. Visit their website here.  …

Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College’s annual Our School Music Festival returns at their Skircoat Green facility (Ravenscliffe School, Ravenscliffe Cl, Halifax HX3 0RZ) on 20th June. Get your tickets online! https://www.ticketsource.com/ravenscliffe Saturday 20th June 2pm–7pm £5 each  …

The government have released an analysis of a voluntary survey of ferry and cruise customers with disabilities. The survey was carried out by the Department for Transport (DfT) and Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Analysis and reporting for the 2024 survey were completed by Ipsos. The aim was to find out from maritime passengers: their experience of transport using ships how effective the provision of assistance has been when using ferries or cruise ships Read the full report here Main points Overall, most respondents were satisfied with their last journey experience on ships. People with a disability or access need (whether they are responding themselves or a carer responding on their behalf) were slightly less satisfied with their experience than passengers without a disability or access need. Across the overall journey, getting to the port was the area where the most respondents were satisfied or very satisfied: 91% of passengers with a disability or access need 91% of carers 92% of those who neither have a disability, nor have an access need, nor are carers Boarding and disembarking and using the ramps were the aspects of the journey with the greatest difference in satisfaction between passengers with a disability or access need and those without. For boarding and disembarking: 85% of passengers with a disability or access need were satisfied or very satisfied 82% of carers were satisfied or very satisfied 91% of those who neither have a disability nor are carers were satisfied or very satisfied For using the ramps: 79% of passengers with a disability or access need were satisfied or very satisfied 76% of carers were satisfied or very satisfied 85% of those who neither have a disability nor are carers were satisfied or very satisfied Across the overall journey, using the designated wheelchair space was the area where most respondents were the least satisfied: 65% of passengers with a disability or access need were satisfied or very satisfied 73% of carers …

As part of their work aiming to empower young Disabled people, Disability Rights UK has created Future Ready – a hub for everything young Disabled people should need for the post-16 transition and beyond. The Hub includes resources, access to our Disabled Students Helpline, personal stories from other young Disabled people, and more. You can also sign up for their Future Ready Newsletter and get helpful advice and exciting opportunities sent to your email every month. Visit the Future Ready Hub!…

Dementia Care Survey Healthwatch are running a survey to understand your experience of dementia care, diagnosis, and treatment in Kirklees and Calderdale. Share your experience of dementia care Stroke – For Kirklees and Calderdale residents Healthwatch want to understand how having a stroke has affected your health, daily life, and overall wellbeing. They are also interested in hearing about your experience of the care you received, as well as any ideas you have for how services could be improved. Share your experience of stroke care…

Construction of the new leisure centre and swimming pool for Halifax has started, marking the next major phase of development for the state-of-the-art facility. From a disability point of view, it’s interesting to see that there’s a Changing Places facility included in the plans. Here’s the report on this stage from Calderdale Council. Preparation works have been ongoing over the last few months to get the site ready, which included site surveys and the partial demolition of the old North Bridge Leisure Centre. Contractor Tilbury Douglas has now officially begun work on the new build, with the delivery of a construction piling rig on site – a huge, specialised drill that will help create the foundations for the building. The rig, weighing 81 tonnes, will drill over 300 pile foundations (holes that will be filled with concrete) up to 13 metres down into the ground, to create structural support for the building. Shelagh O’Neill, Calderdale Council’s Director for Regeneration and Strategy, said: “The start of construction is a significant step forward for the Halifax Leisure Centre project, which is on track to deliver top-class sports, health and wellbeing facilities for all of Calderdale’s diverse communities in 2028. “Teams have been busy finalising the detailed designs and doing lots of complex preparation work on site to reach this point, and creating the foundations is a vital first step in the actual construction.” The new Halifax Leisure Centre will include: a 120-station fitness suite, three multi-function studios and a dedicated spinning studio an eight-court sports hall a 25 metre six-lane swimming pool with spectator seating, and a learner pool with a viewing and seating area a Changing Places facility wellbeing spaces a soft play and adventure area for children, and a café and community area.…

Jam Packed Summer is a school holiday programme supported by the Calderdale Short Breaks Programme, and co-ordinated and delivered by staff and sports coaches from Calderdale Sports Services. Download Info Leaflet: Jam_Packed_Summer_2026 Download Consent Form: Jam_Packed_Summer_2026_reg_amp_consent The Scheme is for disabled young people aged 8 to 19 years who, through the appropriate delivery of sport and leisure sessions, will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of disability specific and adapted mainstream activities which will include: • Calderdale Based Events • Generic and sports specific coaching and small sided games • Aerobics and dance • Athletics • Ten pin bowling • Adapted cycling • Shibden Park • Fun games at Manor Heath • Arts and crafts • Visits to regional attractions Scheme Information Dates: Monday 20 July to Friday 14 August 2026 Times: 10am-3pm Monday-Thursday, 9am-4pm Fridays Venue: Ravenscliffe High School and Sports College @ Spring Hall, Huddersfield Road, Halifax HX3 0AQ Booking details Whilst activities on the summer scheme are appropriate for children and young people with varying ability levels, and with a suitable instructor ratio, because of the nature of the programme children must be able to work in groups and have a level of mobility and independence. If your child requires additional support to access Jam Packed Summer, Personal Assistants or Support Workers are encouraged to accompany and support your child for the duration of the session. Closing date for applications Friday 12 June 2026.  …

Temporary stand changes will be in place at Halifax Bus Station from Monday 27 April until Sunday 14 June as the facility undergoes a programme of works. According to the information supplied by Metro, stands at the bus station will be closed, one at a time, with services from the closed stands using stand K for the duration of each closure. The stand closures are as follows: Stand J: 27 April – 2 May 2026 Stand P: 5 May – 10 May 2026 Stand Q: 12 May – 17 May 2026 Stand R: 18 May – 24 May 2026 Stand S: 26 May – 31 May 2026 Stand T: 1 June – 7 June 2026 The services affected by these closure are: 343, 537, 543, 501, 521, 523, 536, 537, 539, 547, 548, 549, 561, 562, 563, 563A, 571, 577, 579, 586, 681, 682, X1 In addition, South Pennine Community Transport services 539 and 547 will use stand 6 on Market Street Coach services will use stand A  …

Struggling to cope? Text the word ‘BRIGHT’ to 85258 for support. Shout’s mental health professionals are available 24/7 and can help if you’re feeling stressed, isolated or low. Shout offer free and confidential text support to anyone in West Yorkshire.…

We often feature products from Active Hands, the disability aids retailer. This time, we’re looking at their Angled Aid. Get a firm grip on rackets and more, at just the right angled with our Angled Aid. You can play – * tennis * badminton * table tennis * padel * use tools such as a hammer and so much more! The comfortable neoprene glove holds your hand securely around the object. Choose from a standard strap, or add a rubber-backed strap to aid pushing a sports wheelchair while wearing, for example during wheelchair tennis. More info on their website    …

Eye clinic liaison officers (ECLOs) play a vital role signposting patients to information and the support available. The Macular Society recently spoke to Moorfields Eye Hospital ECLO Mary Bortolussi, who joined the team in February 2022, about the impact the role can have on people living with sight loss. From signposting to registering someone as visually impaired, the role of an ECLO is both rewarding and hands-on, Mary explained. She said: “We serve as a link between the hospital, the eye clinic and other external services, for people who are visually impaired. We provide information and advice about living life with sight loss, which we do by referring or signposting patients to the relevant services.” Read the full article here…

Disability Rights UK is a great place to purchase your own RADAR key (needed to access some public disability toilets/facilities). Buying from DR UK means you can be sure your disabled toilet key is manufactured and guaranteed by the makers of the Radar locks themselves, Nicholls and Clarke. Disability Rights UK rely on sales to maintain the integrity of the National Key Scheme. As a charity led directly by Disabled people, they plough back 100% of any Radar key UK profits into funding their key services, such as free helplines and factsheets, innovative projects to support independent living and standing up for Disabled people’s rights. Order your Radar Key today.…

It could be through work, volunteering or just helping a relative Digital Champions are vital to helping bridge the digital divide. The Good Things Foundation are running some online Digital Champions training  on 13th and the 20th May. It’s a two part session for volunteers and staff who provide frontline support to help people gain confidence and digital skills. The Good Things Foundation also have these resources Digital Champions & Volunteers | National Digital Inclusion Network including recruiting volunteers, safeguarding and other digital guides including using the GTF “Learn My Way” Platform.…

If you are tired of people parking too close to you, you may find DMUK’s car window stickers useful. These stickers are available from £2.00 and the messages on them include; ‘If you want my parking space do you want my disability?’ ‘Not all disabilities are visible’, ‘please don’t park too close I need room for wheelchair access and more. They have stickers that stick to both the inside and outside of the vehicle. If you would like to view the full range, visit their website here.…

A new UK-wide system aims to make parking simpler for drivers, especially those who regularly travel between different towns and cities. The National Parking Platform (NPP) allows motorists to use a single parking app across multiple areas, rather than downloading different apps for each location. Drivers can choose their preferred app, enter a location code, and pay as usual—while the system ensures the correct council or operator receives the payment. This approach is designed to reduce common frustrations such as re-entering vehicle details, juggling multiple apps, and uncertainty about which payment system to use. Importantly, the NPP does not change local parking rules or charges, which are still set by individual councils. The platform is being rolled out gradually across the UK, with more areas expected to join over time. Source: Disabled Motoring UK. Read the full article on their website.…