It’s not every day you get to scale the heights of the world’s tallest folly, but for Calderdale’s Andrew Bull, it’s just a normal day in his volunteering role at the 253-feet-high Wainhouse Tower.
Andrew’s role as Tourism and Heritage Volunteer at the iconic Tower in Halifax is one of the newer and more distinctive volunteering opportunities in Calderdale, and he shares his story below.
For this year’s national Volunteers’ Week(external link) (Monday 2 to Sunday 8 June), Calderdale Council is celebrating the wide variety of volunteering roles across the borough, and the incredible impact that volunteers have. Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for their contributions.
This year’s comes just after the end of Calderdale’s successful Year of Culture 2024, which was supported by 82 volunteers who contributed over 1000 hours. The VSI Alliance Volunteer Hub, which supports volunteering opportunities across the borough, helped the Council to recruit these volunteers.
At the last count there were over 1,500 voluntary, community and social enterprise sector organisations in Calderdale, with over 13,500 volunteers contributing to making the borough a great place to live a larger life.
In the last year, more than 800 volunteers have supported Calderdale Council services, giving over 27,000 hours of their own time. The Council will recognise their kindness at a celebration event during Volunteers’ Week.
New Council volunteering roles that have launched recently include the Food Tour Volunteers at Halifax Borough Market and the Tourism and Heritage Volunteers at the Grade II listed Wainhouse Tower, which is now in its landmark 150th year. With the help of volunteers, the Council has opened up the Tower to more visitors in recent years, offering the chance to climb its 369 steps and see stunning views over Halifax.
These roles show the diverse range of opportunities, and how volunteering supports the Council’s priorities for thriving towns and places, the CultureDale legacy and the promotion of local heritage – as well as the many other amazing roles that help reduce inequalities and contribute to action against climate change: https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/jobs/volunteering/volunteering-opportunities(external link)
Local resident Andrew Bull took up a Wainhouse Tower volunteering role. He welcomes visitors, supports their climb and gives information. The role gives him the chance to meet new people and share his knowledge, and brings feelings of nostalgia and connection to his family. Andrew said:
“I was born and went to school close to Wainhouse Tower and have always admired it. I returned to the area several years ago and am semi-retired, so I began volunteering at the Tower. It is great to talk to visitors about the Tower and educate them on Halifax’s rich industrial heritage. I have met lots of varied and interesting people from in and out of the area.
“My family have lived in a few places round the moor, and I can see all of them easily from the top of the Tower.
“I climbed the Tower in 1975 during its 100th anniversary and still have the certificate, so it’s great to be up here again 50 years later for the 150 year anniversary.
“My Uncle Godfrey Bairstow, as an apprentice electrician with the Yorkshire Electricity Board, had the job of illuminating the Tower for the very first time to commemorate VE Day.”
Cllr Sarah Courtney, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, said:
“Calderdale is a really kind place, so it’s no surprise that we have so many wonderful volunteers here, doing really amazing things for our communities.
“Whenever I talk to people who volunteer their time, whether it’s for a charity or a Council service, it’s clear to see the joy and skills it brings them and the difference it makes to our borough.
“This Volunteers’ Week, we want to say a big thank you for the important role they play in supporting the Council and making life better for local people, and we encourage more people to give volunteering a go.”
For more information about volunteering opportunities with Calderdale Council, visit https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/jobs/volunteering/volunteering-opportunities(external link)
For volunteering opportunities through VSI Alliance, go to https://vsialliance.org.uk/volunteering-opportunities(external link).
New for 2025, to celebrate Wainhouse Tower’s 150th anniversary, people who climb the Tower can get a keepsake similar to the one that volunteer Andrew received back in 1975, as there is now an option to buy a certificate as a souvenir of their ascent. Find out more about the Tower, the climb and the certificates: www.visitcalderdale.com/see-and-do/attractions/wainhouse-tower(external link)
Discover more about CultureDale: www.culturedale.co.uk(external link)