Work set to start on £2m scheme to transform Todmorden Hippodrome Theatre
Plus, Calder Valley MP is third fastest parliamentarian!
Hello and welcome to The Calderdale Lead!
I feel like I bang on about the weather quite a bit in these intros (how very British of me!) but isn’t it marvellous to have warm sunny weather round these parts?
We’ve got a packed midweek edition for you with news of major work at the Todmorden Hippodrome Theatre getting closer to starting.
Plus, we reveal how Calder Valley MP Tim Fenton-Glynn got on in the London Marathon and have a mini digest of other stuff happening across the borough this week!
So, on with the news!
Theatre appoints contractor for £2m redevelopment scheme
Work on Todmorden’s Hippodrome Theatre will start early next month.
The near-£2m scheme, which is part of the Todmorden Town Deal £17.5M programme of investment, will see the building extended and remodelled.
The work aims to create a more accessible venue, with better rehearsal, exhibition, archive and performance spaces and a more welcoming and fit for purpose foyer area.
The appointment of Rosslee Construction is possible following the fundraising efforts of Todmorden Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (TAODS), owners of the community led theatre, who have raised almost £1m through their Raise the Roof campaign on top of the £825,000 investment from Todmorden Town Deal.
Todmorden Hippodrome Theatre is the country’s largest community-owned theatre, with over 350 community members and 200 young people in its youth theatre volunteering over 73,000 hours of their time in the last 12 months.
Helen Clarkson, the chair of Trustees at TAODS, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to finally see the construction work begin on our Raise The Roof project.
“After so many months of planning, fundraising, and community collaboration, seeing builders on site feels like a true milestone — not just for us as trustees, but for everyone who loves and supports the Hippodrome.
“This project is about so much more than bricks and mortar. It’s about creating a space that is inclusive, inspiring, and fit for the future — a place where creativity and community can thrive side by side. We are deeply grateful to the local people who have backed us every step of the way — through donations, volunteering, attending events, and simply cheering us on.”
The theatre offers an award-winning year-round programme of shows, plays and entertainment often playing to sell-out audiences.
And hundreds of local residents are able to gain experience and skills in all aspects of performance and production, with participants going on to stellar careers in the creative industries, including roles in Coronation Street and running national theatre organisations.
Additional funding partners include The Community Ownership Fund, Foyle Foundation, Brelms Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation, Swires Charitable Trust and over £100,000 raised by volunteers and supporters at the Hippodrome.
Fundraising efforts will continue throughout the construction period, as members of TAODS work to secure the remaining funds needed to complete the internal fit-out of the new spaces and to install a passenger lift providing access to all levels of the development.
Ms Clarkson added: “Your support is what makes this possible, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to a transformed Hippodrome that you’ve helped to build. As we continue to shape the final stages of this project, every contribution — no matter the size — brings us one step closer to fully realising our vision.
“If you’re able to support the Raise The Roof campaign, now is a wonderful time to get involved and help us complete this exciting new chapter for our town’s theatre.”
The work is expected to be completed by next spring and the theatre will remain open during the building work, with only limited periods of full closure.
To find out more about The Hippodrome Theatre and how you can get involved and support their work, click here.
Calder Valley MP raises £3,000 with London Marathon efforts
Calder Valley MP Josh Fenton-Glynn was the THIRD fastest MP at Sunday’s London Marathon.
Mr Fenton-Glynn, who was elected to Parliament last year, has so far raised more than £3,000 for Overgate Hospice in Elland.
He was one of 17 MPs who took to the start line in London and finished the race in a second over four hours and 10 minutes, placing him 20,748th overall!
Mr Fenton-Glynn was back in Parliament on Monday and joked: “I was warned by the rep from England Athletics that there was no way I’d get a PB in the heat, I chose not to believe him - he was correct!
“I’m back at work today and not looking forward to the “bobbing” (standing up and sitting down) we have to do to ask questions.”
If you want to add to his sponsorship for Overgate Hospice, you can do so by clicking here.
“We're left in the dark”: The ‘invisible’ children with Long Covid left without care
Stats show that there are around 100,000 children living with Long Covid throughout England and Scotland
That’s according to 2023-24 data from the Office for National Statistics.
Our colleagues on the national edition of the Lead have done a special report on this and I’d urge you to give it a read by clicking below and get in touch with us if it’s affecting you or a family member. Details are in the outro.
Ready for some Bank Holiday fun (again)?
Here’s a guide to a couple of bits and pieces that are happening across the borough this weekend:
🔊 Legendary DJ and film-maker Don Letts is hitting Todmorden on Friday for a set at the ever-brilliant Golden Lion.
Letts came to prominence as the videographer for The Clash, directing several of their music videos and then went on to form Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones!
Expect Letts to spin a choice range of cuts from across the decades.
Tickets are £10 and available here.
🎻 This weekend is also Todmorden Folk Festival with various venues playing host to a range of UK and international acts.
There’s a variety of free and paid-for events and you can check out the full programme here.
🐰 The May Day Bank Holiday weekend - from Saturday - will see the Northowram Scarecrow Event celebrate its 14th year.
Dozens are houses in the village, just north of Halifax, put up scarecrows for visitors to marvel at and the prizes are always hotly-contested!
There are a variety of activities over the weekend including Scarecrow trails, kids and adult quiz trails, a fun dog show, children’s games and face painting, Haworth Home Guard display, and traditional tombola.
There are also bouncy castles, BBQs, Ice cream parlour and pizza outlets as well as live music available at the various hostelries around the village.
Well, that’s it for this edition.
I hope you all have a cracking rest of the week and get to enjoy some of this sunshine over the Bank Holiday Weekend!
Don’t forget you can get in touch by email on calderdale@thelead.uk if there’s a story you think I should be taking a look at.
Enjoy the rest of the week and we’ll be back in your inboxes on Sunday!
Andrew