Please see below information relating to communities in rural Kirklees that may be of interest. Please pass on, share and promote any information you think your communities and connections would be interested in. Feel free to just copy and paste!
Slaithwaite Duck Race 2026
Slaithwaite Duck Race 2026 will take place on Saturday 13th June, with the race finishing in Spa Park.
We’re hosting a Family Fun Afternoon in the park from 1pm to 5pm
A small number of community information stalls are available free of charge.
For stall enquiries, please email slaithwaiteduckrace@gmail.com
Slaithwaite Community Get Together
Taking place at the Slaithwaite Civic Hall on the 9th may from 10am – 12.30pm. To find out more please contact secretary.slawitscouts@gmail.com
Stories in Motion Exhibition – Free Guided Tours, Culture Labs and Kirklees Cultural Strategy
27 April – 1 May 2026- Bath House Gallery, University of Huddersfield
Stories in Motion is a powerful exhibition of short films made by Kirklees filmmakers and communities, exploring themes of health, heritage, learning and place. We’re inviting groups to join us for a free guided tour, offering the chance to step into these stories and reflect on the cultural identities that shape everyday life across the district. Book a slot for yourself or your group here. Or get in touch.
Alongside the tour, we’ll introduce Culture Labs – a creative and collaborative approach to co‑-designing local cultural action and the Conversations about Culture Film & Toolkit.
Why Take Part?:
Your voice can directly shape the future of culture in Kirklees. We are currently supporting the development of the Kirklees Cultural Strategy, and community perspectives are essential.
Taking part in Conversations about Culture — through the film, toolkit, or an exhibition visit — gives groups the opportunity to:
- Influence cultural priorities for future investment, programming and support across Kirklees.
- Highlight the issues, identities and stories that matter most to your community.
- Ensure local voices lead the conversation, so the strategy reflects the district’s diversity and lived experience.
- Strengthen connections between community groups, creative practitioners and cultural organisations.
- Build confidence and skills in using film, storytelling and discussion as tools for community development and shared decision-making.
Every conversation, reflection and insight gathered will feed into ongoing planning, helping shape a cultural landscape that feels relevant, accessible and meaningful to the people who live here. If you are interested in getting involved in future Culture Lab activity then please get in touch with us!
Get Involved:
Book a tour on Eventbrite:
To learn more about the exhibition, toolkit or Culture Labs, please contact:
📩 culturesof@hud.ac.uk
Explore the exhibition online:
🔗 https://bit.ly/47x7Mdk
Social Prescribing Drop in at Skelmanthorpe Library
Monday 18th May from 10.15am – 12pm at Skelmanthorpe Library – come along to find out more about social prescribing and how it can help you!
Operation Snap
Op Snap, and the Safer Roads Media Submissions portal, is a response to increasing submissions of footage relating to driving offences that members of the public have witnessed.
Until now, these reports have been submitted to the police in a variety of ways and so a streamlined process has now been developed to deal with them. This will hopefully make it easier for all involved.
This portal can only be used for driving offences, it is not for submitting footage of Road Traffic Collisions or public order offences and is not for reporting crime.
West Yorkshire Safer Roads – Op Snap | West Yorkshire Police
Be Water Aware
The Be Water Aware campaign will run from Monday 27 April to Sunday 3 May 2026.
We urge everyone to enjoy time in, on, and around water safely. Tragically, lives are lost every year in coastal and inland waters, but many of these deaths are preventable.
The Be Water Aware campaign is part of a coordinated effort to support the UK Drowning Prevention Strategy, which aims to achieve a 50% reduction in accidental drownings between 2016 and 2026.
Fire and rescue services, and partner organisations, share vital safety information within their communities and on social media. Raising awareness is key to preventing accidental drownings, and the campaign highlights practical advice, such as what to do if you see someone in trouble in the water.
The resources included in Be Water Aware can be used throughout the year to support water safety messaging in communities.
If you see someone in trouble, make the right call – call 999!
- PHONE 999 for help
- Tell them to FLOAT on their back
- THROW rescue equipment to keep them afloat until emergency services arrive
Water Safety | West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
Kirklees Summer play camp at Wolf Ridge Camp.
4 days and 3 nights of activities for year 4 to year 7 children. Full price £66 reduced to £10 if on FSM, universal credit, income related employment support, income support or you are using a foodbank. To book www.kirkleessummerplaycamp.com Poster attached with dates and details
Police Contact Points in Rural
At Storth House, Cowlersley, HD4 5UX – 5.5.26 and 2.6.26 (1pm – 2pm)
Milnsbridge Village Hall, Armitage Road, HD3 4JY – 15.5.26 and 5.6.26 (2pm – 3pm)
Parochial Hall, Marsden, HD7 6DN – 28.5.26 and 18.6.26 (11am – 12pm)
Funding Opportunities
Please see attached a range of funding opportunities that may be of interest.
If you would like to promote community and voluntary activities or opportunities in the Rural area, please contact: Luc (luc.bride@kirklees.gov.uk), Julie (julie.mcdowell@kirklees.gov.uk) or Aaron (Aaron.taylor@kirklees.gov.uk) with a brief blurb and links to where people can find out more. Please note we prefer links to further information rather than attachments and images due to the size attachments can make these emails.
All the best,
Kirklees Rural