A community organisation, HBCA acquired The Town Hall in 2010 and is now responsible for its ongoing management and financial sustainability.

Primarily, The Town Hall is focused on the ongoing regeneration and economic development of Hebden Bridge and offers a range of subsidised services to enable the local community to thrive. The governance of the HBCA is managed by a board of volunteer trustees and the organisation is supported by around 400 Friends of The Town Hall.

Our Trustees

Jane Morris

Jane has lived in Hebden Bridge since 1989 . She values the enterprising, community-building culture here and wants to support HBCA in contributing to this. She has spent her working life in public services, first as a manager in third sector organisations working with homeless and vulnerable people in London, then as a social worker in mental health, then for the last 25 years in the NHS as a psychotherapist. She knows how much good communities contribute to our health and happiness. Her main passions are music, landscape, friends and her family, the younger members of which have grown up for much of their lives here, and attended local schools.

Will Lake

Will is a freelance copywriter whose clients include a wide variety of local and nationwide businesses, charities and public sector organisations. He’s also been involved with the town’s hebdenbridge.org website since it was launched in 2018. Will took an office in the Town Hall when they first became available, back in 2012, and he’s passionate about the role of the building and the services it provides to the town’s business and residential communities. As a long-standing tenant who uses the building most days, he can offer a helpful insight into its everyday workings for business users. Originally from Mirfield, West Yorkshire, he’s lived here in Hebden Bridge since 2000, so he knows our town well. Away from his desk, you’re likely to find him cycling or hiking in the surrounding hills, or out and about with his camera.

Alan Gardner

Alan has lived in the centre of Hebden Bridge and Wadsworth/Old Town for over a decade and has two sons in Old Town Primary School. Alan and his partner were amongst the first couples to be married in the Town Hall extension. Alan is a Chartered Building Surveyor with almost 30 years of experience in the historic built environment that covers charitable, statutory, large commercial, and smaller, private practice environments covering a wide variety of roles in relation to historic buildings including technical awareness, statutory and contractual experience, and extensive dealings with grant-giving bodies. Alan is keen to “put something back” into the local community based on his relevant experience. Alan’s previous examples have included pro-bono technical advice post-flooding and in relation to the consolidation of the ceiling and redecoration at the Picture House in Hebden Bridge.

Paul Guy

Paul has over 30 years’ experience in Human Resources as well as experience in running small businesses.

Paul now runs one of our local long-established small high-street businesses in Hebden Bridge and approached the Association to see if his skills would be of use to us and the wider community. They have been most useful.

Rachael Swindlehurst

With a background in Brand Marketing and Events Management for some of the UK's most iconic brands, Rachael relocated to Hebden Bridge in 2015 - just in time for the Boxing Day floods. As a new resident in the town, Rachael witnessed how fundamental the Town Hall was to the community, both as a physical sanctuary and a base for the numerous volunteer communities that sprung into action from the building. Genuinely overwhelmed by the generosity and empathy of people from all areas of society, Rachael wanted to contribute to the continued success of the charity and the building - celebrating what makes Hebden Bridge such a special place to live.

Rebecca Blackwell

Rebecca is a CIMA-qualified chartered accountant having worked in the manufacturing industry for the last 7 years specialising in management accounts and performance improvement. She has held senior finance roles within FTSE 250 to private equity-owned businesses and is currently working for A-SAFE UK, a global LTD company that manufactures safety barriers based Elland, as their Group Financial Controller. Over the last few years, throughout COVID, Rebecca decided she wanted to give something back to a cause where she can use her experience and expand her knowledge further which led her to HBCA.

Sue Barlow: Chair

Sue recently retired after over 50yrs in the healthcare arena and finding a need to keep busy ! Sue was born in Bury (Lancashire, sorry) but moved away in early 1980’s coming back 5 yrs ago to be with family again. 

Professionally Sue was a Consultant Radiographer and specialized in Clinical reporting. For the latter 12yrs as a Fellow on the faculty of Derby University teaching DXA scanning and clinical reporting in Osteoporosis. Sue has been a National Council member for the professional body (The Society and College of Radiographers for 16 yrs) and chaired the National Benevolent Fund for Radiographers who can award grants to individuals in the profession who had fallen on hard times. Sue’s spare time was spent as a Cub Scout leader gaining a 25yr long service medal from the Chief Scout.

Locally now, Sue is treasurer for the Calderdale Friends of Dorothy, secretary for Hebden Bridge Literary & Scientific Society and also spends some days as a volunteer on the front desk in the Town Hall.

Graham Mynott: Executive Director of HBCA

The Company Secretary is Graham Mynott, Executive Director of Hebden Bridge Community Association. Graham has been an employee since January 2016 but is not a Company Director or Trustee of the Charity.