Hello!   Here is a quick update of some of the latest opportunities in Park and Warley that you might be interested in.

Latest News

Park Ward Neighbourhood Plan Referendum flyer attached

A Referendum relating to the Park Ward Neighbourhood Plan will be held on Thursday 9 February 2023.

The question which will be asked in the Referendum is ‘Do you want Calderdale Council to use the Neighbourhood Plan for Park Ward to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?’

The Park ward Neighbourhood Plan sets out a vision for the future of Park and how we hope this can be achieved over the coming years.

The Park Ward Neighbourhood Plan includes policies on

• Tackling Dereliction
• New and Improved Housing
• Design of New Development
• Protecting and Improving Open Space
• Revitalising Retail Centres
• Protecting the Area’s Heritage
• Getting Around

For how to vote in the Referendum please see Neighbourhood Planning Referendums | Calderdale Council

Free Diploma in Childcare or Health & Social Care at Creations Children’s Centre, Pellon!

Gain a degree in your local community without having to travel to College!

Course runs one day a week, within 16 sessions. All coursework is completed in class.

Classes run 9:30 am to 2:30 pm – during school hours!

Course starts: Thursday 26th January – ends 15th June.

At Creations Community Children’s Centre, Albert Road, Halifax HX2 0QD

For more information and to apply: Contact Creations Children’s Centre on 01422 434006 or 01422 251090

Sport and mental health sessions at Halifax Academy

Spotlight faith group and Healthy Minds are holding sports events at Halifax Academy Sports Centre over the next 12 month starting on Sunday 22nd of January from 9am to 11am, awareness raise mental health awareness in the Black community in Calderdale.

Everyone welcome.

For more information contact, Brown Giwa brown_giwa@yahoo.com

Warm Spaces Directory

Warm Spaces are places where people can gather for free in a warm, safe, welcoming place and maybe enjoy a hot drink and some company.

Look up your local warm sapces on the Council’s website here https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/residents/community-and-living/money-and-wellbeing-calderdale/warm-spaces

If you need help travelling to a warm space, Community Transport Calderdale have a volunteer car service that offers safe and supportive transport.

Do you have a Warm and Welcoming Space that you would like to list on the directory?  Register your Space here

The first week back has been a big one for Calderdale College!
Not only have we welcomed our new Principal and Chief Executive, David Malone, but we’ve also been rated Ofsted OUTSTANDING in four areas of our provision:
Education Programmes for Young People

• Adult Education Programmes
• Leadership and Management
• Behaviour and Attitudes

Find out more here : bit.ly/3GGO41B

Volunteering Opportunity: Advice Caseworker (Volunteer) at St Augustine’s Centre

If you care about the rights and needs of people seeking asylum and would like to give practical, person-centred support, then a caseworker role at our Advice Drop-in could be for you.
At St Augustine’s, you’ll get to know and be part of a vibrant community of centre members, local community volunteers and staff, hailing from all over the world, bringing diverse and unique experiences, insights and skills (including food!)
As a caseworker, you’ll be directly involved in alleviating some of the toughest challenges faced by people seeking asylum.

We reimburse out-of-pockets expenses, can offer a character references after 6 months and all volunteers are offered free training and further personal development opportunities.

Find out more here : https://www.vsialliance.org.uk/opportunity-detail/3338

Calderdale Customer First re-opens

Local people can once again access a range of face-to-face support by visiting Calderdale Council’s newly reopened Customer First centre on Horton Street in Halifax town centre.

The building closed in 2020 to protect people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and reopened its doors on Tuesday 3 January 2023 to bring more in-person services together.

All under one roof, help and advice are available on services from housing, benefits and Blue Badge applications, to homelessness prevention, Homes for Ukraine and cost of living support.

The Customer First centre in Halifax is open to the public from Monday to Friday, 10am – 4pm

For many other ways to contact the Council, including by web chat or the phone, please visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/siteinfo/contacts/index.html

CREW Heart support are back

With their guided walking groups of about 5 miles (over 2 hours) to help improve your physical health and mental wellbeing.

CREW Heart Support guided walks January – March 2023

The walks take place around Calderdale and are graded according to difficulty and accessibility.

All walks are guided. Please wear weather appropriate clothing and shoes.

Join and give yourself the opportunity for gentle exercise, socialising and enjoying the outdoors in a safe, friendly environment.

What’s On

Calderdale Heritage Walks Winter Newsletter

Did you know that there are fifteen Grade 1 listed buildings in Calderdale?  How many can you name? During 2023 we will be visiting several.

Click here for our winter newsletter with an update on what’s happening at Calderdale Heritage Walks until the end of March.

VCSE jobs Open Day flyer attached

Monday 23^rd January. Drop in between 1pm – 6pm

If you or anyone you knows is interested in working in the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector VSI Alliance is hosting an Open Day at the Resource Centre on Hall Street, Halifax, HX1 5AY. 
Come and talk to VSI Alliance and other organisations from the VCSE sector about jobs and volunteering opportunities they have available.

Holocaust Memorial Day Commemoration Event
Calderdale College is hosting this year’s annual Holocaust Memorial Day event, working in partnership with Calderdale Council, Calderdale Interfaith, Holocaust Centre North, and the Holocaust Survivors Friendship Association.
Confirmed speakers include:

• Trude Silman MBE – Will give her testimony as a child that survived the Holocaust
• (The Worshipful) the Mayor of Calderdale, Councillor Angie Gallagher
• Reverend Canon Hilary Barber

The event will take place from 6-8pm on Wednesday 25 January and there will be free parking and refreshments available. For more information, email paulwat@calderdale.ac.uk

New Year, New Us Taster Fair flyer attached

Healthy Minds Calderdale is holding a winter fair to share more about how Healthy Minds are helping to meet mental health needs within Calderdale.

On Friday, 27th January, 10am – 1pm at Healthy Minds, 1 King Street, Halifax.

This is a unique opportunity for professionals to gain first-hand insight into our holistic mental health provision, services and activities so that you understand what patients and service users experience when referred to Healthy Minds. 

In particular, you can learn about:

• Our new, volunteer-led Peer Support programme
• Warm space drop-ins
• Like Minds befriending service
• Safespace – One-to-one support for anyone in distress (Ages 16+)
• Link – Intensive support for people ‘stuck’ in a crisis loop
• Welfare Rights
• & more!

Please RSVP and send any queries to cath@healthymindscalderdale.co.uk.

Calderdale Cares Careers Recruitment fair flyer attached

This career’s fair is open to job seekers, secondary schools, and further education students from across Calderdale to explore career opportunities in the Health & Social Care sector. The event will allow people to learn about career options directly from employers and professionals. In addition, this event will showcase the educational pathways and explain the skills needed to pursue different careers in the sector.

The event will promote a range of careers linked to the care sector. There will also be an opportunity to meet employers, get support with interviews, CV and apply for live vacancies.

This is a great opportunity for anyone looking for a career change, career development and those who are finishing compulsory education.

Events

• The Orange Box 1 Blackledge, Halifax HX1 1AF on Wednesday 25th January 10am – 2pm – Register here
• Todfellows Space Oxford St, Todmorden OL14 5PU on Thursday 2nd February 10am – 2pm – Register here

For more information about the event, please contact growyourfuture@calderdale.gov.uk, You can also visit the Calderdale Cares Careers website for live vacancies

Have your say!

2023 Calderdale Residents Survey
The 2023 Calderdale Residents Survey is now open! If you live in Calderdale, please take a few minutes to take part here. Residents’ views of our place really matter. They change where we’re going and how we get there.
We want people from all walks of life to take part, can you help us reach even more people? The survey is open everyone aged 16 or over and living in Calderdale. It only takes a few minutes to complete and you could be in with a chance of winning great local prizes. We are sticking by our Vision for Calderdale in 2024 – a place of hope and kindness, where everyone can realise their potential. Be quick – the survey is only open in January.

Grants for community groups and voluntary sector organisations

Ward Forum Grants 2022-23

As we near the end of the financial year 2022-23 don’t miss out on the opportunity to apply for a ward forum grant.

Calderdale Council has made a total of £5,000 available for each ward to be spent by 31 March 2023. We welcome community groups and individuals to apply for funding to spend on eligible activities and projects that benefit the ward.

The maximum grant per application is £500.

Click here for more info

VCS Support Fund

Calderdale Cares Partnership has created a £180,000 fund to support the recovery of Voluntary and Community Sector groups post-Covid.

VCS organisations who support residents in Calderdale to improve their health and wellbeing, and help to meet the goals of the Calderdale Health and Well being Strategy can apply for grants up to £10K.

More information is attached or visit https://cffc.co.uk/our-grants/

The deadline for applications is 10am Thursday 23^rd February 2023.

Grants to boost community projects

Calderdale community groups running events and projects to support local towns, people and the environment are invited to apply for grants from a £70,000 Council funding pot.

Local voluntary, community and faith organisations can seek up to £3000 from the latest round of Calderdale Council’s Community Small Grants Scheme.

Grants will be awarded to projects that help achieve the Council’s priorities to create strong, thriving towns and places, reduce inequalities and tackle the climate emergency.

The Council is looking for events and projects that:

• Help increase jobs and skills, mainly through volunteering and community involvement.
• Support more people from diverse or deprived communities to access events and activities.
• Help to boost people’s health and wellbeing.
• Back the drive to save energy, improve the local environment and promote healthy, affordable, sustainable and local food.

For more of the Small Grants Scheme’s aims and to apply, please visit www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/residents/community-and-living/grants/grants-voluntary-organisations/small-grants-scheme

The deadline for applications is 9am on Monday 6 February 2023. The grants panel is due to meet in March and the successful organisations will receive their funding shortly after.

The Locala Community Fund 2022/23 is now open for applications!

Every year, The Locala Community Fund donates at least £10,000 to community, third sector and charity organisations in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Stockport and Tameside who apply for up to £1500 to support their projects. The Community Fund is part of our social enterprise commitment investing any profits back into services or community projects and helps projects that support Locala’s Better Lives Strategy and contribute towards one or more of our Social Value Pledges.

If you know of any groups in the five areas we work in who could benefit from a Community Fund grant then let them know that applications are now open. More information and the application form can be found here: https://www.locala.org.uk/get-involved/community-fund

Please note submissions to the Community Fund will close on 27 January 2023 at 5pm.

In January 2022, The Locala Community Fund donated over £43,000 to 30 community groups. 

Cost of Living

Worrying about money? Help is at hand

Dealing with money related matters can be off-putting, but there is lots of support for you.

The sections below are to help everyone, with lots of information on local services:

• Money, debt and benefits advice
• Electricity, gas and water bills
• Children, young people and families
• Health and well-being
• Employment skills and business support
• Food
• Housing
• Paying your rent
• Paying your Council Tax
• Support with digital
• Tackling poverty in Calderdale

Partners in Calderdale have also made a referral leaflet: Worrying About Money? Which is a step-by-step guide to maximise income and to get any financial help there is now.

There is also a poster and leaflet. Organisations that support people with money worries can request paper copies of these by email: antipovertyaction@calderdale.gov.uk.

The Government has also set up a website to help with the cost of living.

Staying active on a low budget
Many of us are feeling the pinch right now as we face the reality of what we can afford within our monthly budget. Looking after our own physical and mental wellbeing can often slide its way down our priority list as we face these new challenges.
Being active is important in tackling low moods, depression and anxiety as well as being good for our physical health and it doesn’t have to cost anything. Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to move more. Check out our list of free and easy ways to move more in your workplace or at home. More advice on staying active at a low cost can be found in the attached flyer.

Employment and Training

Digital Access Drop In

Do you need somewhere to access online services?

The HOT Employment team hosts a free digital access drop-in every Friday from 9.30am – 12.30pm, at Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre, where you can login to your online accounts.

No need to book, just drop-in.

HOT Apprenticeships

Halifax Opportunities Trust Apprenticeships team is piloting a project that boosts apprenticeship uptake through levy transfers.

Establishing Collaboration Opportunities with Covea Insurance plc; the pilot supports local Early Years apprentices and businesses through levy transfers.

This project has so far given three apprentices (Early Years Practitioner Level 2, Early Years Educator Level 3 and also Early Years Lead Practitioner Level 5) the opportunity to build their Early Years Careers.

Learn more: https://www.regen.org.uk/hot-learning-pilots-levy-transfer-project-to-boost-early-years-apprenticeships/

Looking to develop your Maths or English skills? Apply now!

Start 2023 by learning a skill new! Calderdale College’s Maths and English courses are designed to give you the skills that are useful in work and everyday life.

Find out more here: https://bit.ly/3FzhNJo

Employment Drop ins

Looking for a new role in 2023? Halifax Opportunities Employment Team and North Halifax Partnership to offer fortnightly advice and guidance drop-ins, for registered families at their Children’s Centres.  

We can support you with

• Finding a job or training opportunities
• Universal credit applications
• Linking you with specialist support services such as mental health, debt and life skills.

Call Sanah Asghar on 07784240653

Business Support

Commercial concessions for the 65th Halifax Charity Gala now open!

The Halifax Gala committee are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for commercial concessions for the next Halifax Charity Gala on Saturday 10th June 2023.

Applications close 1st April but please complete as soon as possible.

Click here for more info

Green Warrior Workforce Development Programme

What does the Green Economy mean to you and your customers?  Do you want practical ideas on how to include green skills in your customer sessions, as well as practical ideas on how you can become Greener yourself?

The Greener Together project is running 7 unique sessions for community workers, youth leaders and anyone involved in delivering community sessions for residents of Calderdale. These will run in conjunction with Todmorden Green Skills College.

• 25th January – Reducing energy consumption in the built environment

Sessions are FREE and run from 10am-3.30pm. Lunch will be provided

For more information call 0300 330 5535 /email: hello@newgroundtogether.co.uk

Latest Vacancies

Vacancy!  Link Project Worker – Healthy Minds
37.5 hours per week, fixed-term to June 2024. Part-time hours may be considered.
Rate of pay: £26,245 pro rata + 5% pension; pay award pending ​
Do you have experience in support or advocacy work in a health and wellbeing context?
Are you motivated by helping others to make positive changes in their lives?
Are you passionate about person-centred approaches to mental health?
The Healthy Minds Link project has been commissioned to explore alternative (outside of the statutory system) support for those stuck in a mental health ‘crisis loop’ and to find ways out of that loop.
The Link is unique and differs from other Healthy Minds services in that it focusses on individual rather than peer support and builds a longer-term, supportive relationship, focussing on progression and making changes. It differs from statutory services in that it is non-clinical – not responding or planning according to diagnoses. We work carefully to complement and add to statutory services already available, rather than replace them.

Link Workers work with individuals on a one-to-one basis and facilitate group problem-solving sessions to support people to make positive and lasting changes.
Interested? Apply at: https://www.healthymindscalderdale.co.uk/jobs.html
Deadline to apply: 9am, Monday 6 February 2023

Interviews are likely to be held in week beginning 13th February.

More info https://www.healthymindscalderdale.co.uk/jobs.html

Vacancy!  Wellbeing Team Manager – Women Centre

Hours: 18.5 per week

Salary: £30,984- £32,798 pro rata plus 5% pension (SO2 SCP 26-28)

Contract:2-year fixed term contract

Based in: Calderdale

Application deadline: Monday 6th February 2023 9am

More info https://hxcentralblog.com/2023/01/20/women-centre-employment-vacancy/

Vacancies!  Calderdale Council – https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/residents/jobs-and-volunteering

Vacancies!  Calderdale College – https://jobs.calderdale.ac.uk/