Figures show Year of Culture hopes were exceeded

CALDERDALE'S Year of Culture - dubbed Culturedale - gave the borough an estimated £50 million uplift from visitors, councillors have been told.

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And according to the number-crunching from event paperwork returns, more than 240,000 people took part in events across the Year of Culture, which ran from April 2024.

They included more than 54,000 children and young people.

Against a target of attracting 5,206 people to take part in workshop events, 13,910 actually took part.

Calderdale Council allocated £520,000 from its budget to support Culturedale, while external grants and funding brought in to support the Year of Culture included £800,000 from West Yorkshire Combined Authority, £500,000 from Arts Council England and £400,000 from National Heritage Lottery Fund.

Scrutiny councillors heard the programme delivered "significant" social, economic and cultural benefits, although there were challenges in reaching all parts of the borough, with some wards holding more events than others.