Calderdale Forum 50 Plus draws on the experience of a number of volunteers, who make up the organisation’s committee.
If you are interested in joining our committee, you can find out more about what we are looking for here.
If you would like to visit one of our meetings, drop us a line at info@calderdaleforum50plus.com or for an informal chat, call 07946 510900 and leave a message with a good time for us to contact you back.
Malcolm Kielty MBE: Malcolm’s involvement in the arena of Rugby League for 49 years is widely known throughout Calderdale, culminating in the award of an MBE in the 2014 Honours List. He is also very involved with Disability Partnership Calderdale (DPC) as a member and former Chair, a co-founder of the Cardinals Wheelchair Sports Club and founder of the Calderdale Community Coaching Trust (a charitable foundation). He brings to the Forum a wealth of connections and networking ability throughout Calderdale. These skills and his experience have been invaluable as a forum Committee Members for the last three years and as Chair since November 2014.
Shabir Hussain: Shabir is a qualified accountant with an MA in Public Policy from the University of Birmingham and has been Director of Bluebird Care Calderdale & Bradford South since 2012. He worked for a housing charity for over 16 years and saw first-hand the positive impact on children’s lives when homeless families are provided with permanent accommodation. His passion for helping others led to involvement with Memory Lane Café, Disability Partnership Calderdale, Staying Well, The Great Get Together at Crow Wood Park and Calderdale Dementia Friendly Community. Since 2013, he has regularly volunteered for Rotary – helping raise funds for local good causes.
Rachel Horner: Rachel is the Chief Executive at Age UK Kirklees and Calderdale and truly cares about helping older people live vibrant, fulfilling lives, while also supporting their families and carers. She believes Calderdale Forum 50 plus is a great platform providing a vital role sharing information and resources with the community. In her personal time, she loves spending quality time with her family, eating out, and catching up with friends.
Chris Willis: Originally from Sheffield, Chris has lived in Halifax since 1986, when she started working for Calderdale Council in Adult Social Care. She started out in catering, then moved into Home Care management, and finished in Commissioning. Her last role was working in partnership with the Alzheimers Society, identifying ways to improve the lives of people living with dementia. Since retirement in 2015, she has had more time to spend in the garden, is an active member of Sowerby Bridge Ladies’ Probus, and continues her interest in genealogy, growing the family tree. Only recently, she discovered her three times Great Grandfather was married in Elland in 1856, despite believing she was the first member of her family to live in the Calderdale area!
Julie Ingham: Julie is an experienced marketing and communications professional, who has held management roles in both commercial and third sector organisations and run her own marketing consultancy, providing advice and support to small businesses in West Yorkshire. More recently she lead the marketing department at National Day Nurseries Association and was responsible for developing the strategy for this national membership and training organisation to support its vision of high quality childcare for all. The role involved working closely with the Director of Policy to campaign for enhanced funding for the day nursery sector. She now works part-time in a community engagement role for home care provider Home Instead Calderdale. Away from work, Julie is a keen cyclist and tennis player, competing in the Calderdale tennis league and coaching youngsters in cycling skills.
Trish Colton: Trish has only lived in Halifax for 7 years and has settled in a community of retired people in an independent living sceme. She has lived in Yorkshire since 1986, after fulfilling a childhood dream to travel and see the world. Always playing an active role in her neighbourhood she is also a trustee of Community Transport Calderdale, and shares the interests and intentions of Calderdale Forum 50 Plus. Since retiring she has published several history books about the whole of Yorkshire, and local to whichever town she was living in at the time including Halifax. She began writing over 40 years ago when living abroad, writing freelance articles for newspapers and magazines.