From 1^st June 2010, the Calderdale Shopmobility service transferred to Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees (ACCK).  We are very pleased to be the new guardians of Calderdale Shopmobility and are excited at the prospect of managing and developing the service to meet the mobility needs of people living in the Calderdale area.   Whilst we have now taken the Calderdale Shopmobility service, we do not run the Kirklees Shopmobility service and this remains a separate, independent organisation.

Calderdale Shopmobility complements many other services that ACCK runs throughout Calderdale and Kirklees, including information and advice, home care services, shopping and cleaning, home from hospital, day care, active befriending, community link services, advocacy, charity shop, insurance and energy products.

For the time being the Calderdale Shopmobility service will continue to operate from the current premises at Wards End.  There will be no change in how users and members access mobility aids and scooters and we will continue to provide the exceptional service that people are used to from our valued staff and volunteers. However, we will need to relocate to new premises later this year as the lease on the Wards End premises expires and we are unable to renew it.  We will keep you informed of our plans over the coming months.

If you have any questions you might wish to ask about the service, or indeed have some ideas about how you think the service might be developed to assist you, then please contact us Pat Akerman on 01422 399830, or via the contact form on this website.

You can also find out more about Shopmobility from the existing Calderdale Shopmobility website.

Sue McGrotty, Manager of the service, will be retiring at the end of this month and I am sure that you will join us in thanking her for all her hard work over the years and wishing her a healthy and happy retirement.

Age Concern Calderdale & Kirklees/Calderdale Shopmobility are extremely grateful to Voluntary Action Calderdale who have hosted Calderdale Shopmobility for the last 9 months.  They have done an excellent job in not only securing the future of this valued project but also in overseeing and developing the service through some extremely difficult times and supporting the staff and volunteers.

Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees, assisted by funding from The Heritage Lottery, ran the project, Home Spun Yarns, during 2009. The project worked with older and younger people to investigate, catalogue and record a range of local crafts and skills.

We’ve now launched a web site to highlight the work generated by the project. Please visit it – http://www.homespunyarns.org.uk/

An innovative partnership has been forged between the charity Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees and the Podiatry Clinic at the University of Huddersfield. Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees can now offer access to the clinic for any of their clients who need foot care. Colin Cromack, Head of Trading Services at Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees, is convinced it will be of major benefit,

‘This will make a huge difference to our service-users who may otherwise have to wait months to access NHS services or pay full private sector rates for their foot care’.

The service will cost just £7.50, which is used to cover administration costs within the clinic. The link with Age Concern was brokered by Dr Chris Low, Social Enterprise Lead in the School of Human and Health Sciences,

‘This is an example of how the University can use its leading-edge health facilities as a valuable resource for those in our local community who need it most.’

The older people who visit the podiatry clinic could also benefit in the future from the University’s plans to open an Exercise Referral Clinic. The clinic is being developed by the Division of Health and Fitness and will support people of all ages to live more active, healthier lives.

People wishing to use this service can Contact Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees at

Huddersfield or telephone 01484 535994.

Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees is now offering an assisted bathing service in our state of the art Day Centre at Sundale House, Bradley, near Huddersfield. If you are unable to bathe safely without help, or have physical disabilities, then why not try out our high quality Parker Bath or our level access showering facilities?

In addition, you can also make use of our hairdressing salon or book an appointment to see our holistic foot care practitioner.

We also offer privatre day care facilities for full or half days (which can include the bathing and pampering experiences, drinks and lunch).

For more information about these services and prices, contact Linda Rose on 01484 559935.

Sundale House is at 44 Keldregate, Bradey, Huddersfield, HD2 1SY. Map.

For a quick summary of who to contact to find out more about our services, please download our services contact list (pdf).

The launch of our new Calderdale project was featured in the Halifax Courier last Saturday.

Home Spun Yarns is a new ‘living history’ project based at Age Concern Calderdale and Kirklees. Over the next year, we will be working with older people to document, promote and celebrate their memories, experiences and skills in a range of local crafts.

These were passed on in homes and adult learning institutes around Calderdale and were often a vital part of everyday life. They include things such as; rug making, lace making, embroidery, darning, knitting, woodwork, sewing, pottery and making model aircraft.

We will be working with volunteers and school children to record older people from Age Concern Calderdale’s Day Centres and from the wider community talking about their memories of different crafts. We will also video them demonstrating their skills.

There will be activities and events throughout the year (see back). A DVD will be produced and a touring exhibition, website, podcasts and information packs put together to share the material gathered.

The first project newsletter has just been produced and is now available to download.

Age Concern England have produced an on-line benefits checker which will help older people to find out whether or not they are entitled to benefits. Our local information services are also happy to help people with detailed queries, and to advise and assist with the application process.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese form of gentle exercise which is great for everyone as they grow older. The exercises practised involve a combination of movement allied with breathing and concentration which allow the body and mind to relax and help improve balance and stability.

We currently offer classes at St Judes Church Hall, Free School Lane, Halifax; the Fielden Centre in Todmorden; Forest Cottage Community Centre in Ovenden; and Greetland Methodist Church Hall. Each lesson costs £3.

For more details, please contact Anne Cuthbert on 01422 252040.