Upcoming Holiday Activities and Food programme for the Easter holidays.
Residents can now book their children onto a range of fun activities, including everything from growing sessions to cooking lessons and sporting activities, taking place between 9 April and 24 April.
Free places are primarily available for children aged between five and 16, who are eligible for benefits-related free school meals, although others can book at a small additional cost.
This week the council started to issue annual Council Tax bills and included leaflets informing residents about the £150 Council Tax energy rebate they may be entitled to from 1 April.
Households in Council Tax bands A to D are eligible for the one-off payment. They are encouraging eligible households to set up their Council Tax payments by Direct Debit if they haven’t already done so, so they can issue the rebate more quickly. Eligible households who don’t have a Direct Debit for their Council Tax will still receive their rebate, but it may take longer to receive payment. More information is available here.
Low income households who are not eligible for the £150 payment may yet receive some support, as part of the Government’s £144m of discretionary funding which has been shared nationally.
Residents who are struggling with their finances can check if they are eligible for a Council Tax reduction, along with other support, by visiting www.oldham.gov.uk/wecanhelp
Applications are open until Monday 11 April for people wanting to apply for a grant for a street party, or nominate a torchbearer, for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.
You are asked to nominate local people who have done something extraordinary to take part in the parade of light on 2 June, as one of 70 Jubilee torch bearers.
Meanwhile, there’s still time to apply for a street party grant of £250. The money can be used for food, drink (but not alcohol), decorations and entertainment.
Before applying, people are advised to speak to their neighbours, find out if there is support in the community for holding a party, and confirm a location, date and time.
Applications are accepted until 5pm on Monday 11 April and we’ll let you know the outcome by Monday 25 April. To apply online, visit the website here.
Responding to the news that the PoliceWorks system – the failed part of GMPs iOPS computer system costing millions of pounds – will be scrapped, Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani called for those responsible to be held accountable.
Councillor Al-Hamdani said: “We have waited years for GMP and the police and crime commissioner to finally step up and acknowledge this massive failure. Now they have accepted it, who is going to carry the can?
“We have just seen a substantial increase in the Mayoral precept for every Council Tax payer in Greater Manchester. Is that money going straight from everyone’s pockets to cover this catastrophic investment in a failed IT system?”
Councillor Al-Hamdani, who has raised the iOPS system at the last two Oldham Council meetings after repeated failures to make a decision on it, challenged the huge cost of the system which has failed both victims of crime and the police officers who have been trying to use it.
He continued: “This decision was promised by the new Chief Constable in December, but yet again, we had to wait for another three months, sitting on a failing system while no decision was taken – again.
“In the meantime, GMP has been given yet another scathing report by the Inspectorate in charge (HMICFRS). It has been failure after failure after failure.
“The previous Chief Constable resigned after the force was placed into special measures. Who needs to take responsibility for this failure? Who is left standing? Andy Burnham and Bev Hughes.”
At 12 noon on 23 March, we’ll come together to honour loved ones who have died and reflect on the challenges we’ve overcome by observing a nationwide minute of silence.
Children in Oldham get £63.90 spent on them, compared to £165.20 in the Isle of Wight.
Shadow Health and Social Care Cabinet Member Louie Hamblett has condemned the postcode lottery which means that children in Oldham get almost two thirds less spent on their mental health than children on the Isle of Wight.
The Liberal Democrats are putting a Private Members’ Bill forward to Parliament today to force the Government to report strict figures on waiting times for assessment, treatment and referrals, as well as a breakdown of where money is being spent on children’s mental health.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Hamblett said: “Any parent wants to ensure that their children get the best treatment, and a fair turn. That children in Oldham get so much less spent on their mental health than in some other parts of the country means that parents do not get that.
“That’s even before we look at the fact that poor mental health often goes hand in hand with other issues that threaten to stop children reaching their potential. We must give children the opportunity to be the best that they can be – and equal funding for their mental health is an absolute basic that the Government is not delivering.”
The Private Members’ Bill is being brought forward by education spokesperson Munira Wilson, who said: “The legacy of this pandemic cannot be a severe mental health crisis that goes unchecked across vast swathes of this country. The Government must not allow this postcode lottery to continue.
“My Bill would ensure that parents can find out exactly how much is being spent on children’s mental health in their area. Ministers will not be able to hide from their underfunding and short-changing of communities that need this vital support.
“No parent should be stuck in the awful position of being unable to access mental health services for their child. It’s high time we lend them a helping hand.”
Free Coronavirus testing comes to an end nationally on Thursday 31 March.
For Oldham, this means our local testing sites will be stood down, and home testing kit collection points in libraries and pharmacies will also come to an end.
Before 31 March, people can still order home testing kits through the national website here.
After this date, there will be a number of commercial routes to purchase home test kits, including some pharmacies.
If you don’t want to vote in person, or cannot due other commitments (work/ill/away etc.) at the elections on Thursday 5 May, 2022, for any reason, then you can apply for a postal vote by writing to:
Elections Office, Oldham Council, West Street, Oldham OL1 1UL. Or calling: 0161 770 1880 / 4153. Or emailing: elections@oldham.gov.uk
Completed applications need to be returned NO LATER than 5pm on Tuesday 19 April.
