Calderdale's Kindness In National Spotlight

We all know the Calder Valley is one of the friendliest places to live... This author has moved from London to live in the Valley and is constantly blown away by the warmth and open-heartedness of our local area. Well now, the incredible sense of togetherness and kindness that's been shown by people in Calderdale during the pandemic, is in the spotlight in a major new national report. 

Let's face it - we're no strangers to frequent flooding in the local area and that, combined with COVID-19, has really harnessed our sense of local spirit. The people of Calderdale have really come together during this challenging time and are showing our resilience. The combination of community and local investment has helped so many people from different backgrounds to connect and value each other and it's helped our community grow even stronger.

According to research in 'Community, Connection and Cohesion during COVID-19: Beyond Us and Them' report, people who live in places that invest in social cohesion are twice as likely to volunteer, have a higher sense of neighbourliness and a greater level of trust in local government's response to COVID-19.

The national research has been carried out by Belong - The Cohesion and Integration Network and the University of Kent, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. During the pandemic, they are studying the experiences of people living in six areas that are investing in social cohesion, including Calderdale. They are also researching the experiences of people across the UK who have been volunteering since March 2020. 

The report shows excellent examples of volunteering in our local area, including important things like setting up food distribution programmes, running befriending schemes and taking calls through support phone lines. It also highlights the benefits of volunteering in. wider sense, both for individuals and the community.

Impressive statistics from Belong found that people in Calderdale are 140% more likely to have been volunteering throughout the pandemic than people elsewhere in the UK, and 41% more likely to donate money to charity - that's a whole lot of Calderdale kindness guys! 

Our Council has really championed this from the start, recognising those most ar risk and setting up a virtual support hub to help. This helped harness the fantastic kindness already existing across the borough and enabled hundreds of people to volunteer safely, which in turn supported our most vulnerable members of the community. Residents have also worked on the COVID Champions scheme and flood support, and the research shows that this kind of investment helps us feel happier, more connected and more resilient.

Janet's story 

Janet Lymer from Calderdale is a retired businesswoman who set up Calder Community Cares within just eight days of the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. Run by a central group of 12 residents, Calder Community Cares now has more than 400 registered beneficiaries and 200 volunteers. These hard workers deliver food and medication, lend books and board games, offer digital training, check on elderly and housebound residents with phone calls, and much more. We think Janet and her team are local heroes! 

Janet has driven this incredible work despite barely leaving the house herself for a year due to shielding. She says: 

"We have been very lucky to have had a lot of support from the Council and other statutory agencies. But there is a lot of kindness in Calderdale and it's just a case of harnessing that. Right from the beginning, people wanted to help."

"Calder Community Cares now runs a 24-hour emergency rota and takes safeguarding referrals from the Council and other charities, also working alongside food banks and supermarkets donating food. The organisation is applying for charitable status to allow it to continue beyond the pandemic."

"The past year has been so difficult but this is an amazing legacy to come out of it."

Well done to Janet and well done to everyone in the Calder Valley area... Calder Valley Radio is really proud to be the local radio station to such a giving community. You make us proud, give yourself a cuppa to celebrate and remember to be kind to yourselves too! 

By Louise Ann Oldroyd 

• 
  Family fun and Calder Valley Radio’s 5th Birthday Party

  Family fun at Calder Valley Radio’s 5th Birthday Party on Saturday 5th of July 2025, at Mytholmroyd Community Centre. Come on down to the Mytholmroyd Community Centre and be part of the celebrations. Starring at the Calder Valley Radio Celebrations are: 
  
  90's Star - 'Lolly 
  Gary Barlow Cover Act -  Mark 
  Three Valley Gospel Choir 
  Lane Shaw Academy
  Magic show with Paul Kazam 
  Plus your favourite Calder Valley Radio Presenters... & Lots of surprises and family fun! 
  
  See you all there, from Midday on Saturday 5th of July 2025  Free Entry at  Mytholmroyd Community Centre. 
  
  https://www.caldervalleyradio.co.uk
  
  Everyone is Welcome!!! 

• 
  Welcome to Calder Valley Radio.

  Welcome to Calder Valley Radio. Established in 2020 with Dave, Guy, Fiona, Tony and Val and the help of Hebden Royd Town Council and comedian, Jon Richardson, we launched in the middle of a pandemic. All our Planning in 2019, could never have prepared us for what happened in 2020, but this was our best training. We didn't miss a broadcast and even through our own health issues and sad times, we carried on. Radio became our support too, in our times of need. We know, from your messages to us, that Calder Valley Radio helped you through too and music truly is a great healer.
  
  As we venture forth, with Tim Morsley as our Programme Manger and a great team behind the scenes, we are so excited to be supported by Calderdale Council. We are looking forward to delivering a wonderful programme of events and shows in the coming seasons ahead.

• 
  We will Miss you Tony!!

  All our thoughts and love to Tony’s Family and Friends in this time. We will miss you very much Tony, we are forever grateful for helping to set us up & being such a core member of our team. Being behind the mic is what you loved doing and it’s how we will remember you. 💗💗💗

• 

  Trevor Simpson was born and raised in Kebroyd, Triangle and spent most of his working life in Halifax. After joining the legal firm of Bearder and Son, solicitors from school, he spent thirty-two years working for them as the agency manager for Abbey National Building Society. When the Abbey decided to open a full branch office in 1990, they offered Trevor the job of Branch Manager, where he worked for several years, before taking early retirement in 1995. 

  A keen sportsman, Trevor played as a goalkeeper in local football and was an avid Halifax Town supporter from the age of seven. An injury in 1966 enforced his change of direction and he became a football referee after learning his craft locally. He progressed through to the Football League where he spent seven seasons (1984-1991) officiating at the highest domestic level (all top clubs except West Ham Utd!). He also had two appearances in Wembley F.A. finals, various European and International matches and as a linesman at a World Cup qualifier. He retained his activity in football working for The Professional Game Match Official Ltd. as a referee coach and later a referee assessor on the F.A. Premier League. Trevor also completed 30 consecutive years as a referee and ambassador at the Dallas Cup International Youth Tournament in Texas. 

  His greatest interest outside sport has always been popular music. An avid record collector since his teenage years, Trevor possessed every No.1 record since the British charts began in 1952. He was viewed by many as a worldwide authority on Elvis, wrote numerous articles about him in various worldwide magazines and visited Graceland several times. Trevor published five comprehensive volumes charting Elvis’s early career which have now sold-out. He researched and wrote two local volumes of ‘Small Town, Saturday Night’ chronicling the 1960s music scene around Halifax. He was also part of the Halifax Music Heritage Trails.

  Trevor was the founder of Radio Calderdale in 1981, the hospital radio service in Halifax. During his time there he did regular shows and helped raise funds for the station. Each year until 2020, Trevor broadcast on Christmas Day morning and took great delight in announcing the babies that had been born that day. He also assisted with live commentary of FC Halifax Town’s matches from the Shay for several years. For the past two years, he volunteered as a presenter at the online community radio station, Calder Valley Radio, where his weekly music show was adored by many listeners all over the world. He cared passionately about the station, helping out with grants and fund-raising initiatives, such as the hugely successful Elvis night in September 2023.

  Following the sad news of Trevor's passing in January, his family have decided that any donations made in Trevor's memory should go to Calder Valley Radio as Trevor really enjoyed the two years he spent with the station and did so much to raise our profile.

  If you would like to donate, here is the link:

  https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/in-memory-of-trevor-simpson