The Foodbank has a shout out for more volunteers over the festive period.

We also know many of the usual volunteering opportunities over Christmas will not be available this year, but you might still want to do your bit ?

We know we will have increased demand and so the Foodbank will be open as normal up to Christmas Eve, but on Christmas Eve it will close at lunch time.

In between Christmas and new year they are going to open 10am till 2pm and so will need volunteer drivers and people to pack parcels.

If in the first instance they are looking for people willing to drive.

In general the Foodbank are short of drivers anyway on  a Monday , Tuesday, Wednesday. Shifts are 10:30 till 1pm or 1pm till 4:30 (close of play).

If you or anyone you know would be willing to volunteer, please can you ask them to contact Rebecca.Kershaw@actiontogether.org.uk

Email: sue.hay@ageukoldham.org.uk for AgeUK free energy check

At the start of the latest lockdown, Shaw Market traders were moved off Market Street onto Newtown Street, and the move is killing trade and is not supported by the Council.

Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has received reports that Oldham Council has failed to provide stall holders with tables and awnings, and that there has been no signage placed along the main street to say where the Market is. Traders cannot easily highlight their presence as the Council has not dropped the bollards, so they are unable to move forward a little to locate their stalls on the edge of Market Street.

Councillor Sykes said:  “If there was a textbook strategy of how to destroy a local market, the shameful conduct of Oldham’s Labour Administration towards Shaw Market, since it was first forced to move from the historic market ground in 2015, would win a national prize.  In 2015, thirteen traders moved onto Market Street, but as we predicted, trade has ever since steadily declined.”

“With the latest COVID-lockdown, the few businesses that still exist have been shunted off onto a side street in a move that was ill throughout out, ill prepared, and ill executed and without a thought for their future survival.  This Thursday (19/11/20) the Market was down to two stalls, and no one is sure if they will be back next week.  As a Shaw resident sadly said to me in an email ‘Shaw Market is being killed by a lack of care’. This is a shambles, and we need to sort it out before Shaw loses its market for good.”

Email: Tom Ingham tingham@thebondboard.org.uk for Bond Board.

Salford and Stockport Councils have this week postponed their meetings where councillors will decide on whether to adopt the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework and the Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has written to the Leader of Oldham Council suggesting it would be wise to do the same.

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Stockport were ready and keen to speak against the Labour-led plans at the meeting last Tuesday (17November), but at the last minute, the Labour, Conservative and Independent Group leaders backed an adjournment for two to three weeks to enable a backroom deal to be made between them.  In Salford the Conservatives have called in the plans for further scrutiny before a final decision is made.

With these new developments, Councillor Sykes has now written to the Leader of the Council requesting that the Oldham Council meeting on 25 November be deferred.

Commenting, Councillor Sykes said:  “When Oldham Councillors meet, we will not be making our decision in isolation.  What will now be changed in Salford and Stockport could have an impact on the residents of this Borough as housing numbers may be displaced.  The Greater Manchester Spatial Framework is a plan to deliver tens of thousands of new homes across the whole of the city region and so we need to know about the changes before we make our minds up here.

“I have written to the Leader asking for the Oldham Council meeting scheduled for 25 November to be deferred until after these discussions have been concluded and we are aware of the conclusions.  After the many delays amounting to years that have already occurred in making the final decision on the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, an extra delay at this point to provide time for the situation in Salford and Stockport to become clearer would be common-sense.”

For real time information: https://oldham.roadworks.org/

The Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, has welcomed the recent announcement that Oldham will be one of 67 new areas to follow Liverpool as locations for mass testing for Covid-19.

Councillor Sykes said: “Tragically Oldham has suffered the highest levels of detected new cases of Covid-19 per head of population in the UK in recent weeks.  Mass testing in Liverpool has shown that some residents can unknowingly transmit Covid-19 to others by being asymptomatic carriers.  Mass testing will enable us to identify, isolate and support such individuals, as well as those persons who are suffering the actual symptoms of the disease.  If we pull together by participating in testing, and by isolating if we receive a positive result, we can all help reduce further transmissions of Covid-19 and start to put Oldham Borough back on the road to something like normal.  Let’s hope the testing programme starts sooner rather than later.”

Councillor Sykes is however keen to see army personnel involved in conducting the tests, rather than staff from the now-discredited private-sector companies.  He added: “Regrettably our experience in Oldham of testing being carried out by private companies is poor.  Testing centres have not appeared on the days and at the times promised, staff have sometimes turned up without some of their testing equipment or indeed any of their equipment, and they have gone home early.  This experience had been both inconvenient and stressful for residents who have booked appointments and then found they have been unable to take a test.”

“I have confident that the army will do a far better job than the private sector’s ham-fisted efforts, and I hope that the Council Leader will seek to ensure that army personnel are on hand to do the work.”

Are you a woman living in Greater Manchester or do you know women living in Greater Manchester?

Are you struggling with lockdown and feeling isolated?  Would you like to connect with other women in a really positive on-line judgement free environment?  Don’t worry a lot of our members never imagined connecting on line – we can help you.

Inspire members come from all walks of life, many have experienced mental health issues, caring for others and the million and one things that are thrown at women every day !

Especially at the moment!

Watch this video made by some of our fabulous members who just like you felt isolated and lonely before they joined us, it might just inspire you to join them. 

Click on the link ✍️    https://youtu.be/_sAjedBJRuw

If after watching you would like to join us there are 3 easy ways :

You can click on this link   https://inspirewomenoldham.co.uk/membership-application/  and complete the short form and we will contact you

You can send an e-mail with your contact details to info@inspirewomenoldham.co.uk

You can contact Marion on 07969 174943

Thank you from all at Inspire Women

Inspiring Futures Partnership , Medtia Chambers, Level 1, 5 Barn Street, Oldham OL1 1 LP