The Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to Oldham Council to ask that Remembrance Sunday services at war memorials across the Oldham Borough should this year be filmed and made available online for members of the public to watch.

In his letter to the Deputy Chief Executive, Helen Lockwood, Councillor Sykes laments that it was impossible to properly mark the 75^th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in May and this will also be the case with Victory over Japan Day on 15 August because of the coronavirus restrictions preventing large public gatherings. 

Councillor Sykes has asked the Council to now plan for online coverage of the Remembrance Sunday events.

Commenting Councillor Sykes said:  “In Shaw and Crompton, many hundreds of local people join local Councillors, veterans from the Royal British Legion, local clergy and young people from the uniformed services to pay their respects at the Crompton War Memorial to all the servicemen and -women who served their country in time of war and sacrificed all.  This is also the case at our war memorials elsewhere across the borough.”

“This year we are likely to able to only hold small physical services at each of war memorials and I want to ensure that no-one will be excluded from participating, despite Covid-19.  If we can show these services online, anyone with a computer will be able to participate and they will be able to properly show their respects for the sacrifice others have made in the defence of their freedom. If we can allow the public to see Council meetings on-line, we absolutely must do this for our services on Remembrance Sunday.”