Age Concern Todmorden is a small local charity supporting older people in Todmorden, Walsden,
Cornholme, Portsmouth and surrounding areas.

The Calder Valley Line Community Rail Partnership was established in 2021 by Rochdale Council, Calderdale Council and local communities along the route of the Calder Valley Train line which runs from Rochdale through Todmorden to Halifax and Huddersfield.      Community rail partnerships bring together local groups and partners along railway lines to work with the rail industry and deliver a range of community engagement and promotional activities to encourage ownership and improve access to and use of local rail services. They promote understanding of the importance of local railways, in terms of improving mobility and sustainable travel, community cohesion and wellbeing and social and economic development. The appointed Councillor will represent Todmorden Town Council and the interests of Todmorden at the Partnership meetings which are organised by the Community Rail Partnership Officer who is based within Rochdale Council.

The Anti-Poverty Steering Group, which includes representatives from statutory and voluntary sector partners, co-ordinates the three key areas of work set out in Calderdale Council’s Anti-Poverty Action Plan.

The three key areas of work are:

•  to prevent people from falling into poverty,
• to support residents living in poverty through intervention, and
• to help people be more resilient to stay out of poverty.

The group’s activities are wide ranging, spanning housing, welfare and debt advice, education, employment and training, food poverty, fuel poverty, health and wellbeing and early intervention and signposting.

The appointed Councillor is invited to attend Steering Group meetings and events.

The Calderdale Tourism Board is a new addition to our list of Outside Bodies.  In March 2023 the Calderdale Tourism Board invited a representative of Todmorden Town Council to join the Board and work alongside hospitality and tourism stakeholders and partners from across Calderdale.   The appointed Councillor will attend meetings of the Board and take part in events.

Emergency

Coordinators

Each year the Town Council appoints several its members to act both in the event of an emergency and in the aftermath of an emergency.

Administered by Grantscape, the Crook Hill Community Benefit Fund offers grant funding to community projects that offer benefit to residents living with a defined funding area around the Crook Hill Wind
Farm. Parts of Todmorden fall within this area. Grants applications are invited once a year and the next closing date is 8 February 2021.

Administered by Grantscape, the Reaps Moss Community Benefit Fund offers grant funding to community projects that offer benefit to residents living with defined funding areas around the Reaps Moss Wind Farm. Todmorden electoral ward is one such area. Grants applications are invited once a year and the next closing date is 15 February 2021

The Fielden Centre Association is a locally based charity that is responsible for managing the historic Fielden Hall, a striking events venue on the edge of Centre Vale Park. Fielden Hall is licenced for Civil
Wedding Ceremonies and Civil artnerships though this beautiful building provides a stunning backdrop for any event.

The volunteers who form the Friends of Centre Vale Park group work hard to protect, improve, promote and enhance Todmorden’s beautiful Centre Vale Park. Their activities include woodland management, planting initiatives and path improvements as well project managing improvements to the the park’s facilities, fundraising and public awareness raising. They help ensure the park is well maintained and raise and monitor any issues that arise with the staff of Calderdale Council who oversee the park.

Upper Valley Safer, Cleaner Greener Team is a new addition to our roster of Outside Bodies.There are four Safer Cleaner Greener Teams within the borough of Calderdale.  They focus their work towards the action plan for the Safer and Stronger Communities Partnership, addressing the problems specific to the local areas that they cover. Each team is led by a senior officer/manager from one of Calderdale Council, West Yorkshire Police or Together Housing.   Membership includes Senior Manager (Chair), Neighbourhood Policing Inspector, Primary Care Trust, Local Authority (community safety, youth services, parks and street scene, environmental health), Together Housing, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.  Other members are enlisted on an ad hoc basis to support their work, develop ideas and projects and share good practice.  The Upper Valley SCG team usually meet monthly.

The Todmorden Town Hall 150th Anniversary Steering Group formed in 2023 to oversee plans to mark the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Town Hall.   The anniversary will take place in April 2025, but the process has started early to give enough time to bring ambitious plans to fruition.  The Steering Group has representatives from a wide cross section of Todmorden based organisations and interested individuals.  The group will  meet once every 6-8 weeks in the first instance.  

The Todmorden Town Hall Working Group membership includes, Friends of the Town Hall, Todmorden ward councillors, Todmorden town councillors and the Todmorden Information Centre.  The group works closely with Calderdale Council  to agree a schemes of improvement to the Town Hall.

The Todmorden Town Twinning Association was formed in 1978 and since that time has successfully supported exchange visits between the people of Todmorden and the people of our twin towns Bramsche in western Germany and Roncq in northern France

Town and Parish
Council Liaison Group

In 2008 Calderdale Council established a Town and Parish Council Liaison Group, with the aim of promoting better and more effective working relationships between the Council and the Town and Parish Councils. The group has produced a draft Charter agreeing to several ways the councils can work together for the benefit of local communities.

The Todmorden Town Deal Board includes representation from local people with specific skills and experience, Todmorden Town Council, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (Accountable Body), the local MP and an advisory representative from West Yorkshire Combined Authority.  The Board has oversight of the development and delivery of the projects set out in the Town Investment Plan which attracted £17.5 million investment from the Government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund.  

Todmorden Information Centre provides an important service which is used by businesses, residents and visitors to the town. The Centre provides information about travel, indoor and outdoor events,
shops, restaurants, accommodation, the indoor and outside markets and local companies. It also promotes the town in conjunction with other local community organisations. Todmorden Town Council
is pleased to provide core funding for the Todmorden Information Centre.

If you are struggling with the cost of living and can’t afford, for example, to replace a broken cooker or buy the children new shoes, Tod Support is here to help.

Tod Support distributes funds from two charities, Todmorden War Memorial Fund and Abraham Ormerod Trust.

Each request is considered in terms of what difference the support would make. Needs will differ from individual to individual and may include help with food and energy costs to warm bedding, from a cooker to home essentials, school uniform to a bed or baby’s cot.

Read the latest Annual Report 2024 of the Trust

HEPTONSTALL EXHIBITION AND RICHARD NAYLOR CHARITIES

The Heptonstall Exhibitions and Richard Naylor Charities are two separate charitable trusts, administered together and both offering grants to young people, under the age of 21 years who are
going on to further education or entering a trade or profession. Applicants must live within the ‘Ancient Chapelry of Heptonstall’ which is the area bounded by Pudsey Rd in Todmorden, Midgley Rd in Mytholmroyd and Turvin Rd in Cragg Vale.

JOHN EASTWOOD
HOMES TRUST

John Eastwood Homes is a local almshouse charity which owns a number of bungalows in Walsden and has recently partnered with the Calder Valley Community Land Trust on the development of 6 bungalows also in Walsden all allocated to people over 65 with at least ten years residence in the
Todmorden Town Council area.

CLOUGHFOOT
SCHOOL TRUST

The Cloughfoot School Trust offers educational grants to those under the age of 25 who, or whose parents, live in Todmorden. Applicants should be in education, either at school, college or university or undertaking further professional or technical training or education. Grants are awarded to help towards the cost of items such as equipment and materials, travel and books.
For more details and an application form email [email protected]