Oldham Council is working around the clock to provide financial assistance and advice to residents affected by last week’s explosion in Shaw.

To date around £33,000 has either been dispensed in cash advances or agreed in principle as payments to be made from the official Oldham Distress Fund.

In the immediate aftermath of the blast the Local Authority paid out almost £7,000 to 35 residents in the form of interest-free emergency cash advances.

Trustees of the Oldham Distress Fund are also meeting regularly to act on new applications as they are received.

They have already agreed payments in principle of about £16,000 to 30 indiviual applicants. These will be made direct to residents this week subject to final receipt of any outstanding information required, such as bank account details.

A further 23 applications worth a total of about £10,500 have also been approved in principle by the Distress Fund Trustees.

Many of these have completed formal application forms and will be considered at today’s Trustees meeting whilst some others await further clarification from applicants.

The Council would like to stress that both the cash advances and applications to the Distress Fund remain open to people affected by this incident.

You can apply for either by visiting the Advice Centre at Shaw Library on Farrow Street East in Shaw. This facility is open between Noon and 4pm, and 6 to 8pm each day.

Also Residents can get confidential one-to-one assistance here about the financial support available, plus advice on housing, welfare benefits, insurance and finance matters.

“A range of local organisations, community groups and partners have been extremely busy organising new fundraising events for the Distress Fund and I would like to thank them all for their inspirational work,” said local Lib Dem councillor Howard Sykes.

“To date we have had around £7,000 in public donations to the Distress Fund and we know that plenty remains to come through from future fundraising events and cheques that need to clear.”

You can donate directly to the Oldham Distress Fund in a range of ways.

To find out more – and to donate online – visit Oldham Council’s website at www.oldham.gov.uk

You can also call 0161 770 6611 during the opening hours of 8am to 6pm (Monday to Friday) and 9am to 1pm (Saturday only).

Anyone wishing to make a donation via Internet Banking will need the following details of the Distress Fund account:

Bank: Cooperative Bank
Account Name: OMBC Oldham Distress Fund 225145
Sort Code: 08-92-33
Account No: 61715512

Cash or cheque donations can also be made in person in Oldham town centre by visiting the Co-operative Bank or Debenhams in the Spindles Shopping centre, and at Shaw and Crompton Parish Council.

Cheques – payable to the ‘Oldham Distress Fund’ – can also be posted to: Andy Cooper, Finance Services Team, Oldham Council, Level 14, Civic Centre, West Street, Oldham, OL1 1UG.

“I am also asking that more local donation points be created, in response to request from local residents,” added Councillor Sykes.