After almost 20 years on our Board and many years as Chair, Revd Canon Hilary Barber’s term has now, sadly come to an end.

It feels like the end of a very big chapter in Halifax Opportunities Trust’s story.

Hilary first came across HOT shortly after he moved to become Canon of Halifax Minster. He was part of a Common Purpose leadership course that led to a conversation with then HOT CEO Barbara Harbinson, and a simple invitation to join the Board. He became a trustee in 2008 and later our Chair in 2020.

From that point on, Hilary has been woven into almost everything that makes HOT what it is today.

A Chair who showed up

Hilary has never been the sort of Chair who only appears for formal meetings.

He has spent time in our buildings, met staff and volunteers, chatted with ESOL learners, joined events and celebrations, and quietly checked how people are getting on. He has been a familiar face at Hanson Lane Enterprise Centre, Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, The Outback Community Kitchen and Garden, and at community events across Park Ward.

He kindly describes himself as an “ambassador” for HOT. In practice that has meant talking about our work wherever he goes, introducing us to partners, funders and decision makers, and using his role at Halifax Minster and in national networks to shine a light on what is happening in Park Ward and Calderdale.

Helping HOT grow and change

During Hilary’s time as trustee and Chair, HOT has grown from a relatively small team into a recognised community anchor.

He has helped to steer the Trust through some major milestones, including:

The regeneration and launch of Elsie Whiteley Innovation Centre, officially opened by HRH Princess Anne, which helped to establish HOT as a modern, enterprising organisation and brought new digital businesses into the area.

The development and management of our enterprise centres at Elsie Whiteley and Hanson Lane, which now provide workspace, meeting space and income that supports our wider community work.

Growing our work around Inclusive Integration, ESOL and community projects, which continues to give new arrivals and long-term residents opportunities to learn, belong and build a better life in Halifax.

Supporting HOT’s evolution into a bold, social enterprise focused on regeneration via ambitious capital projects and practical support services that provide people with employment and skills.

He has seen HOT through leadership transitions too. When Barbara Harbinson stepped down as CEO in 2016 after many years of service, Hilary helped to navigate that change and support Alison Haskins as she took up the role and led the Trust into a new era of growth, awards and national recognition.

Values that match the work

Ask Hilary what he cares about and a few themes come up very quickly.

He talks about anti-poverty, inclusion, and the importance of people being able to fulfil their human potential. For him, HOT’s purpose is about creating chances for people, whatever their background, culture or starting point, to feel secure enough and free enough to move towards the life they want.

That way of thinking has shaped the way our Board looks at decisions.

Under Hilary’s leadership there has always been a very simple question at the heart of Board discussions:

What does this mean for people in Park Ward and across Calderdale

He has constantly brought conversations back to real lives, real families and real opportunities. Not just numbers on a report.

Through HOT’s membership of Locality, Hilary has also championed the idea of community power and place-based delivery. He has attended conferences, brought back learning about impact measurement and governance, and used this to strengthen both HOT and his work at the Minster.

A bridge between faith, community and public life

Hilary is known nationally for his interfaith and civic work, including time as Chair of the Inter Faith Network for the UK and involvement in local faith covenants and forums.

At HOT, that has translated into practical collaboration.

HOT has acted as a community voice for the Minster, and the Minster has often provided space and support for HOT related events, memorials and gatherings. Both organisations share a concern for people who are struggling, isolated or left out, and both are committed to finding hopeful, practical responses.

That shared purpose has run quietly underneath a lot of the work Hilary has been involved in.

Looking back and looking forward

When HOT celebrated its 21st anniversary, Hilary spoke about how the Trust has “grown in many ways” and stayed rooted in Park Ward while responding to local, national and global challenges. He highlighted the role of staff, volunteers and trustees in holding that purpose steady through change.

Now, as he steps down as Chair, we want to pause and say this very clearly:

Hilary, thank you.

Thank you for the years of time, travel, reading and meetings.
Thank you for the awkward questions and the encouraging words.
Thank you for the way you have spoken about HOT in rooms we are not in.
Thank you for believing in the people and places we work with.

Although Hilary is leaving the role of Chair, he is not leaving Halifax, or community life, or HOT. He will now become a Patron of the Trust and we know he will continue to turn up where he is needed, listen well, and help people and organisations to work together for the good of this town.

As we thank Hilary, we are also glad to welcome Dr Leigh Burrows into the role of Chair. Leigh has already served as a trustee and Treasurer, and brings many years of experience in accountancy, teaching, business and the third sector, along with a strong connection to local communities.

Under Leigh’s leadership, and with Hilary’s legacy behind us, we will keep moving towards the same simple idea that has guided his time with us.

Creating opportunities and enabling people to fulfil their human potential.

Exactly what HOT is here to do – Alison Haskins, CEO, Halifax Opportunities Trust