New chair appointed at Calderdale Industrial Museum

CIMA was formed ten years ago to campaign for the Industrial Museum in Halifax to be re-opened. That objective was finally achieved in September 2017 when patron Barrie Rutter formally opened the doors to the public.

Since then, the museum has been open every Saturday, and has welcomed group visits and schools during the week (subject to Covid restrictions).

Tim said: “CIMA has now evolved from being a campaign group, to being a business with a middle-sized museum to run.

“This transition has been quite a challenge with everybody involved being volunteers.

“Major highlights along the way have been recognition as an independent accredited museum by Art Council England; the recent signing of a lease on the building with Calderdale Council; our consistent five-star rating from TripAdvisor – the number one visitor attraction in Halifax; the many historic machines that have been brought back to working order, and to top it all, a few weeks ago, CIMA was given the Queens Award for Voluntary Service.

“But there is still much for Bernard and the volunteers to do, like the return of steam power to the museum’s four steam engines; the development of two major exhibits on the top floor, dealing with first, the pre-industrial development of the woollen industry in farms and cottages across Calderdale, and second, the industrial manufacture of worsted cloth that grew out of the domestic setting. With a lifetime working in the various textile industries around Halifax, Bernard is looking forward to the challenge.”

If you’re interested in helping this award winning team please contact Sakinah Haq on 01422 384721 or [email protected]. There is always a need for more volunteers.