Canon Hilary Barber: Focusing my attention on things that I can change and influence

By Canon Hilary Barber, Vicar of Halifax Minster

We all want a reasonable quality of life to enjoy than simply enough to exist. Yet the stark reality is that 2025 sees another year of inequality, wars and uprising across the world, and ever increasing temperatures affecting the emergency climate. I could very quickly get depressed at the challenge before us. I’ve had to learn not to worry about the things I can never change, and to focus my attention on things that I can change and influence. These are mainly, though not all, things that I can do locally, some of which do have an impact on things nationally, and internationally.

The good news is that the Minster is now more stable economically than it has been for years, having made the building income generating with the shop and the cultural events programme we have all year round. The Minster is a social enterprise and whilst we are a charity in our own right, we’ve had to learn to have our commercial arm, which helps to pay for our charitable aims, which are about supporting the Minster as both common ground and sacred space for the whole community, to soak up the heritage, provide a gathering space for celebration and lament, and for the Christian community, a place where God is held daily before a broken and divided world, as we seek redemption and salvation.

Here in Calderdale we continue our celebration of 50 years of this Borough with our cultural Festival Culturedale, which continues through to the end of April. Culture is one of our Unique Selling Points, coming out strongly from the economic crash in 2008, providing jobs for people, and thousands of visitors each year, following television exposure, the activities of the Piece Hall, and the sheer beauty of our built environment. In May will be the official launch of Calderdale 2034, as the local authority take the lead in facilitating the vision for the next ten years locally.

Calderdale Council is exceptional in its vision work, punching way above its weight, in terms of capacity, through its partnership work with the private, public, and voluntary sector, achieving goals other boroughs would only dream of.

I’m still very concerned about the high level of child poverty in the borough, some Wards it’s very obvious, in others, it’s quite hidden. The commissioning of the next Children’s contract to run the Family Hubs will be central to a positive outcome for families needing support locally. The other issue confronting us remains that of the still too high numbers of suicide. This is a hugely complex issue, and partners in the Suicide Strategy, need to hold firm in their desire to save lives and improve the mental health of individuals and communities living on the edge. So in wishing you a Happy New Year, I urge you to play your part, to make sure that Calderdale remains a happy place in which we can live and grow, and enjoy the best days of our life.