Funding Boost for Keighley Healthy Living

A community organisation which supports health and wellbeing is renovating its base in Keighley, with a £95,000 boost from the Keighley Towns Fund.

The Healthy Living Centre, which was founded in 2000, has been based in the building on Scott Street for the past 17 years.

About 500 people use the centre each week for a wide variety of activities including yoga, dance fit and tai chi, as well as classes such as drawing and painting, gardening, British Sign Language, and IT support.

They also deliver projects focusing on pain management, lifestyle change, building social connections and support for young parents.

CEO of Keighley Healthy Living Melanie Hey said: “We run a huge programme of really well-attended classes, including approximately 18 exercise classes in the community each week. People come here for all kinds of reasons, at different points in their lives and we are open to the whole community.

“We are supporting more people than ever before and it’s so important for us to have a space which not only facilitates what we do but creates a sense of community. People come here and find it a really special place to be, so we are excited to be able to reflect that in the way the building looks and feels.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport said: “Supporting organisations like Keighley Healthy Living through the Keighley Towns Fund has such a positive impact. The work of this organisation to bring people together and help people live healthier lives will be boosted by having this functional, modern new space to use.”

Ian Hayfield, Chair of Keighley Towns Fund, said: “It is great to see the way people are making such impressive use of the funds and to see the grants make such a difference to the lives of people in the area.”

Users of the organisation were consulted on the changes they’d like to see in the renovation, which will take about two months to complete.

The work will create a new welcome space, where people can come together. There will be a new community room, which can be split into two, and which will have a large new window to create a much lighter space. The garden will also be re-designed, with full disabled access, and planters at wheelchair height.

Melanie added: “Bradford Council has also really supported us, in helping us to find alternative locations to hold classes while work is underway. We will be making sure our reception stays open throughout so that our users can still call in if they want to. We’re excited for the new changes and hoping to do the community proud. The building is now owned by KHL, and we’ve stipulated that it must always be used for the community so creating this incredible space will be a legacy for the people of Keighley for a long time to come.”

About the Towns Fund

The Towns Fund is a Government-funded support programme to boost the economies of towns across the UK. The programme is part of the Government’s Levelling Up plan. Decisions on grants are made by Towns Fund Boards for each town, which are made up of private sector representatives with support from Bradford Council.