Voluntary Organisations

If you can’t see your voluntary organisation listed here, please call contact us and let us know so that we can make this a really comprehensive list.

Founded in 2008, the 3 Valleys Gospel Choir is now led by Stasia Chalova who brings amazing musicality and enthusiasm to the community choir. The inclusive Choir is made up of singers of all religions and none, who really do come from all walks of life and they believe that Everyone can Sing!  They aim to be a blessing to our community and sing at fundraising events around the Calder Valley, particularly supporting Todmorden Food Drop In and Music for the Many who are their chosen charities. Their repertoire includes Gospel, Soul and World music and they welcome all singers with no audition and no need to read music.  Young singers from the age of 11 are welcome to join if they bring a parent or carer.  Try your first session for free by joining them on a Monday evening upstairs at Central Methodists on Bramsche Square (lift available). They start singing at 7.30pm with a break for tea and cake and finish by 9.30pm.

3 Valley Vegans (3VV) is a community group based in and around the upper Calder Valley in West Yorkshire.  This local group supports all who want to move towards a vegan lifestyle.

The Scouts have been present in Todmorden for over 50 years and the 8th/26th Calder Valley Scouts offer a varied range of activities to the boys and girls in the Group including camps and trips. The Group meets at the Central Methodist Church but welcome all denominations and religions.

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

Volunteering roles include: helping with events such as Coffee mornings & lunch clubs; funding support; admin and office skills to help cover office leave.

Andy’s Man Club are a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free to attend peer-to-peer support groups. They want to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health and help men through the power of conversation.

Calder Valley Community Land Trust is a member-led community benefit society with charitable status which has been established to help address and meet housing needs in our part of Calderdale.  Their mission is to work with the people of the Calder Valley to hold property and create sustainable and affordable homes in vibrant communities.

Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) is a 100% voluntary charity, that operates within Mountain Rescue (England & Wales) guidelines and is part of the Mid-Pennine Search & Rescue region supporting the statutory emergency services, working on behalf of West Yorkshire Police.

Calderdale Friends of Dorothy is an inclusive group of older (over 50yrs) lesbians who live, or have roots in, the Upper Valley of Calderdale. The group seeks to raise awareness of the issues they face as they age and to explore, promote and address particular issues around health, social care, housing and social networks.

The Cancer Research Todmorden group meets on the first Monday of every month.  New volunteers are always welcome to join the meetings or help with events and activities.

A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate. There are volunteer roles for everyone at parkrun: you could be setting up the course, scanning people’s barcodes at the finish or ensuring everyone gets safely around the route as a marshal. 

Todmorden Christian Fellowship is a friendly and informal church meeting Central Methodist Church, Todmorden. Our services are now at the new time of 2pm.

The Climate Challenge College is the first of its kind in the country. This exciting and pioneering new course aims to provide people with the opportunity to learn new skills and expand their knowledge in sustainability and the green economy. The course focuses on the areas of natural building, regenerative farming and recycling/upcycling using repair and reuse methods.

Cornholme’s Old Library is a community space hosting events, classes and activities for everyone who lives locally, as well as a Food Drop In every Monday.

The volunteers at CROWS work on public footpaths and bridleways – usually referred to as Rights of Way, repairing the routes or in some cases improving them to widen access. The Group works all over the Western end of Calderdale– Todmorden (including Cornholme and Walsden), Blackshaw, Heptonstall, Erringden, Hebden Royd (including Mytholmroyd and Cragg Vale), Luddenden and Ripponden.

Dementia Friendly Todmorden are a volunteer run group who aim to make the town a dementia friendly community. They work closely with West Yorkshire Police Todmorden and West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue to help provide as much support as they can.

Esteemed Creatives create spaces for people between 11-16 years old in Todmorden, with adults that really see and believe in them. They are all about empowerment and advocacy.

Calderdale Friends of the Earth is a group committed to tackling the effects of climate change through efforts to improve and protect our local environment.

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.

The work of this non-profit community group centres on the historic graveyard of Todmorden’s Christ Church. Christ Church is no longer an active Church but is was once the Parish Church for Todmorden.    The Friends group supports volunteers to “adopt a grave” and seeks to maintain and improve access to the graveyard for the entire community. 

The Todmorden Friends of Overgate is a voluntary group that coordinates fundraising activities and community events in aid of the Overgate Hospice in Elland.

A group of volunteers who maintain the churchyard at St Peter’s Church, Walsden. 

Friends Of Todmorden Town Hall is a community group, developed in 2019, to ensure the continued use of our outstanding Grade I Listed Town Hall for the benefit of the local community. The group support the Town Hall Volunteers, who provide regular tours around the building.

Gaddings Dam is owned and maintained by the Gaddings Group Dam Preservation Company Ltd, more commonly known by its trading name, the Gaddings Dam Group.The group is a not-for-profit company set up for the sole purpose of preserving Gaddings Dam as a heritage site and amenity for the public. It is run by unpaid volunteers and is funded by donations and subscriptions.

Todmorden has Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and Rangers units meeting weekly term time.  You can find more information about what Girlguiding can offer girls aged 4 to 18 years on the Girlguiding website.  Across the Calder Valley we are always interested in hearing from potential volunteers whether they have specific skillsets or are just looking to try something new for personal development – volunteer roles are designed to be flexible and more information is available through the website.  We help all girls know they can do anything!

The Heptonstall Exhibitions and Richard Naylor Charities offer educational grants to young people, under the age of 21 years on first application, who live within the area of the ‘Ancient Chapelry of Heptonstall’.  Grants are awarded annually with the closing deadline for applications usually being in September.

The Todmorden Hippodrome Youth Theatre (or HYT for short) is the youth section of Todmorden Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society. Formed in 1981, HYT is now one of the area’s largest youth theatre groups with over 100 members. They cover everything from full scale musicals to contemporary drama and learning stage craft and production skills

The volunteers behind Incredible Edible Todmorden (IET) grow fruit, herbs and vegetables around Todmorden that are for everyone to share. They also run a wide range of events that help strengthen the local community.  IET was born in 2008 and since that date it has inspired action around the UK and the world.

Incredible Farm is a not-for-profit company, originally a project of Incredible Edible. The company aim is to model the idea of food-growing as a basis for local businesses, through methods of permaculture. This method of farming ensures a sustainable approach to food production that has least possible impact upon the environment.

Inspire Motivate Transform is a local social enterprise founded to support older adults to live stronger, more connected lives. Their work now promotes physical and mental wellbeing across communities, aiming to reduce inactivity, improve mental health, and strengthen community cohesion. As a stepping stone to greater inclusion and confidence, they offer creative, movement-based activities that bring people together.

Their latest project, The Great Get Together, is now seeking volunteers — could you help?

The volunteers behind Incredible Edible Todmorden (IET) grow fruit, herbs and vegetables around Todmorden that are for everyone to share. They also run a wide range of events that help strengthen the local community.  IET was born in 2008 and since that date it has inspired action around the UK and the world.

Todmorden Kidsfest is a marvellous, magical annual winter festival for the children of Todmorden. Every year the volunteers at Kidsfest work hard to organise amazing, engaging and free activities for young ones, held in Todmorden’s historic Town Hall.

Music for the Many provides instrumental tuition and other musical opportunities on an equitable and inclusive basis, free of charge, to children and young people in Todmorden.

They present monthly public concerts given by professional musicians from a wide variety of genres. Admission to the concerts is by donation, with all proceeds going to fund their work with the children.

Pushing Up Daisies facilitates community-generated conversations on loss, death and dying.

The Royal British Legion’s Todmorden branch brings community and aid to veterans of every war living in Todmorden and surrounding areas.  They organise the annual remembrance march through the town and a he remembrance ceremony held in the memorial garden of Centre Vale Park. Email secretary Daz Widdup: [email protected]

Slow The Flow is a charity working to advance the education of the public in Natural Flood Management, Sustainable Drainage Systems and other renewable methods of managing the environment.   Run entirely by volunteers, Slow the Flow works to provide practical solutions to reduce flood risk in the Calder Valley.

St Mary’s is the church in the centre of Todmorden, with all sorts of things going on for the Community, including music, fairs, cafes and gardening. Some of their volunteers are church members but you don’t need to belong to the church to get involved with the community activities. Their voluntary opportunities include:

Todmorden learning centre and community hub (TLCCH) which has run Todmorden College since the Spring of 2021 after 5 years of campaigning and fundraising to save the building. TLCCH aims to create a community space for the benefit of the people of Todmorden, this is carried out through offering a range of provision for local people and community groups including opportunities for learning, sports facilities, office, studio, and workshop spaces as well as providing local young people with the learning and skills they need for jobs in the new green economy and a weekly food drop-in.

The Todmorden Canal Action Group is a campaing group focussed on  improvements to the Rochdale Canal in Todmorden.  The group’s current focus of activity is to enhance the canalside at Lever St Car Park, to ensure a greener, more sustainable and distinctive welcome to the town in this gateway location. 

Todmorden Riverside Improvement Group (TRIG) are a small group of volunteers who look after the stretch of the river bank alongside the Calder known locally as Tipside.  TRIG was established in 1998 to try and prevent Tipside from becoming a car park and have since worked hard to retain it as green space and resource for the people and wildlife in Todmorden.

Year on year the Todmorden Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (TAODS) gives our town an amazing run of plays and musical productions, all performed in the stunning Edwardian Hippodrome Theatre which is also home to the Electric Cinema.  Keep an eye on their website for details.

The Todmorden Angling society has been established since 1935 and their waters include seven stillwater ponds and parts of both the Rochdale Canal and the River Calder.  New members with a valid Environment Agency Rod license are welcomed.

The Todmorden Book Festival brings together acclaimed authors, journalists, poets, activists, and artists for a vibrant programme of talks, workshops, and performances.

They need volunteers to help: Meet and greet people who come to their events; Usher at some events; Set up & tidy away events;Check & sell tickets; Sell books at some events; Act as a roving mike at some events; Act as a critical friend; Set out & pick up evaluation forms; Help with refreshments at some events. You can choose to support one or several events – supporting an event will take around 2 hours of your time.

If you are interested in finding out more about these opportunities please contact the team via email on [email protected]

Todmorden Bowls Club is unique to the area with four bowling greens. Open to all ages and fitness levels, it’s a great way to meet people and a gentle way to get active. 

Formed after the June 2012 flood, the Todmorden Flood Group brings aid to the people of Todmorden  who have been or are likely to be victims of flood, by raising awareness of the flood risks, flood prevention methods and resilience measures; by providing advice, support and relevant materials in times of flood.  Made up  entirely by volunteers, the group campaigns and collaborates with  other relevant organisations, including the Environment Agency and Calderdale Council,  to promote a better understanding of the needs of the Todmorden area.  

Planning for it’s 10^th Folk Festival, the Committee and all the Volunteers who make the Festival possible would love you to get involved!  Not only do they run the weekend festival on the first May bank holiday every year, but they run regular Folkish sessions on the second Tuesday of the month at Hare and Hounds from 8pm and all musicians, singers and listeners are welcome to join them for a very friendly inclusive session.  They also run gigs, Ceilidhs and their Youth event each year where they choose youth folk musicians to play at their main festival.  You can check out their events on the website or on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/todfolkfestival

The Tod Food Drop In is an independent food bank, not linked to any official agencies.  The Group provide food for people who cannot afford to buy it- whatever the reason.

The Todmorden Health Centre Champions are a group of volunteers who offer patient support and some additional services, all of which are particularly relveant to people with disabilities.  The Champions can assist patients during their visits to the health centre and with simple queries ahead of visits, plus with appointment bookings. 

Todmorden in Bloom is a voluntary group dedicated to creating a big, bright, beautiful blooming community in the heart of the Pennines.  The volunteers look after 25 pocket gardens, 130 hanging baskets, 45 barrier baskets and Todmorden and Walsden Railway Stations.

Todmorden Makery is an exciting new asset to the town, providing initiatives for reducing landfill waste, promoting and practising recycling and bringing the community together. It is a community workshop that offers a space for people to engage in repairing, arts and crafts making, and idea-sharing.

The Todmorden Photographic Society meets weekly, and holds monthly competitions and regular photography exhibitions.

Todmorden Rotary Club was established in 1946 and continues to this day in promoting the values of service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership within the community. Members come from all walks of life but share a common desire to provide service to the community, both locally and Internationally. Read more

Todmorden Tornadoes are a netball club – all their coaches are fully qualified volunteers, and they offer coaching for girls from year 6 to year 13, and also run walking netball sessions for adults which are very popular.

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

Todmorden U3A runs self-help education in the Todmorden area through shared learning and creative leisure, via a wide number of special interest groups, monthly talks and Let’s Go trips – all in a pleasurable, stimulating and friendly atmosphere. Anyone no longer in full-time work (third agers) can join.

Walsden Cricket & Bowling Club was formed in 1870 and in 2000 celebrated its 130th year.  The Club was a founder member of the Central Lancashire League (CLL) in 1892 and until 2015 remained in that league. In 2016 the club joined The Pennine Cricket League (PCL) which was a merger of the Central Lancashire League and the Saddleworth League.  As a result of other Clubs deciding to join other Leagues the PCL finished at the end of the 2017 Season and the Club made the decision to join the Lancashire League for the 2018 Season and onwards.

Walsden C&BC is a non profit making organisation with any profits being reinvested in the club, cricket, and bowls. The club is run by its Officers and the General Committee of around 15 committed individuals. It currently has around 350 members in total and also has a large number of non members and guests who regularly use the clubs facilities from the local community and further afield.

Women’s Open Talk is a mental health support group for women & non-binary people.

Heavily inspired and influenced by Andy’s Man Club, the aim of the group is to bring people together to share in a non-judgemental, confidential and safe space.