Woman ‘delighted’ to take charge of community hub

HEBDEN Bridge Town Hall which was transferred from Calderdale Council to the management of a community association has appointed its first executive director.

The charity Hebden Bridge Community Association Ltd agreed with Calderdale to take over control and management of this key building in the town, in a pioneering asset transfer agreement last year.

The post, which carries the responsibility of overseeing the effective management of the building under community ownership, has been given to Sarah Lister-Blow.

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She is currently the manager of The Gateway community centre in the Ravenscliffe area of Bradford, a successful community project which offers a range of facilities and services to local people.

She is also working on a seconded basis for the new Inspire centre being developed by the Newlands Community Association in north-east Bradford.

Gwen Goddard, vice chairman of the Community Association and the trustee who co-ordinated the recruitment process, said: “Sarah’s experience and her obvious commitment to community-led initiatives like ours impressed us very much.

“We are sure she has the energy and the enthusiasm to make a real difference in Hebden Bridge, and to ensure that our new building, when it is finished next spring, gets off to the best possible start.”

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Ms Lister-Blow said: “I am looking forward enormously to working with the Association’s trustees and with the whole Hebden Bridge community to make the Town Hall project a real success.

“I’m delighted to be coming in to a project which has already demonstrated that it can transform a little-used landmark building into a real hub of community life.”

The post of executive director for the association attracted applicants from across the country.

Ms Goddard added. “We had some extremely well-qualified candidates from Hebden Bridge but also several strong applicants from well outside the West Yorkshire area.

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“It’s always invidious to have to reject good people, but the selection panel agreed unanimously that Sarah was the right person for us.”

Ms Lister-Blow, who lives in the Thornton area of Bradford, will take up her post in the Town Hall in January.