The Fire and Water Board

Steven is originally from the North East, but moved to Warley in October 2022 after living in and around West Yorkshire for the past 20ish years. He is a solicitor who specialises in construction and engineering law, and in his free time he loves music, walking, running, and generally being outside. One of the main reasons Steven moved to this area was because he always felt a sense of creativity and community whenever he visited. Soon after he moved, he found Fire & Water and it really summed up what had drawn him here. Steven joined Fire and Water because after moving to a new area he wanted to be involved in a community project which is striving to provide a real benefit to the area. Having found Fire and Water he was really inspired by the plans of the project and the amount of potential there is.

Malcolm has had Structural Engineers offices in Sowerby Bridge for over 25 years. He was heavily involved in the development of the Wharf and saw the regenerational effect of this project. He is a past chairman of Sowerby Bridge Forum and although now retired is still involved in the management of the Wharf. He is keen to see the Fire and Water project develop and the further regeneration and benefits it will bring to the community of Sowerby Bridge together with the Calder and Ryburn Valleys generally.

Clare took redundancy in 2017 after a 25 year career in Citizens Advice that took her from volunteer adviser to a senior national post. She became involved in Fire and Water because she moved to Sowerby Bridge but after 3 years hadn’t made friends or set roots. She initially did some DIY sessions where she got to use some power tools and knock walls down! In her nine years on the F&W board she has contributed to fundraising through T shirt sales and the sponsored calendar as well as supporting countless events over the years. For Clare the development of Fire and Water offers a fantastic opportunity to the community of Sowerby Bridge: a space that can be shaped in whatever way people want it to be.

Maurice has lived in Sowerby Bridge for over 10 years and is an active supporter of local theatre and Calderdale-based creative writers. As an author and playwright, much of his work focuses on the culture and history of Calderdale, in particular two plays produced by Halifax Playhouse, ‘Narrowboat Blues’ set on the Rochdale Canal and ‘The Coiner’s Wife’ based on the historical events surrounding the Cragg Vale Coiners in the late eighteenth century. As head of a Halifax-based publishing house, he has actively sponsored works by local poets and storytellers, including volumes entitled ‘Tales from Happy Valley’ and ‘Between the Stone: Poetry and Prose carved from the Upper Calder Valley’, amongst others. As a performer, he has appeared in plays in a number of local theatres and has served on committees at Halifax Playhouse and Bingley Arts Centre, and elsewhere. He is currently Speaker Finder for Brighouse Probus Club and Creative Director of The Coiners Theatre Company based at the Fire Station Theatre. In addition to helping to establish Fire & Water as a premium location for arts and culture, his special interest is in building up The Fire Station Theatre as a key venue for theatrical performance of all kinds.