Wildlife Walk around Crompton Moor – Sunday 16th Feb 14

Friends of Crompton Moor

SUNDAY 16th FEBRUARY 2014 10:30 am

In the CAR PARK AT BRUSHES CLOUGH on CROMPTON MOOR

(Nearest post code OL2 8LS Grid reference: SD 95119 10031)

Wildlife Walk around Crompton Moor

The purpose of which, is to not only to enjoy looking at the wildlife, but also to give people the opportunity to learn more about different areas, ask questions, and discuss future projects.

We would expect this walk to take about a couple of hours to complete, and hopefully the weather will be kind to us. Just in case, please dress appropriately, with waterproofs if necessary, and sturdy footwear. Bring along some refreshments, and we’ll make a stop somewhere where we can enjoy the views. Please leave any dogs at home for this walk, as we will be visiting some sensitive wildlife areas.

This walk is for members only – Membership is £5 per annum – non-members may join on the day

www.cromptonmoor.co.uk
Contact: Marian Herod Tel: 07792 156295
cromptonmoor@gmail.com

The 7th National Apprenticeships’ Week – 3-7 March 2014

Councillor J McMahon
Office of the Leader of the Council,
Room 347, Level 3,
Civic Centre, West Street,
Oldham
OL1 1UL

11 February 2014

Dear Cllr McMahon,

Re: The 7th National Apprenticeships’ Week – 3-7 March 2014

As you will be aware,, the National Apprenticeships’ Week, promoted by the National Apprenticeship Service, will soon be upon us.

The week is an opportunity to promote the value of apprenticeships to employers and to prospective applicants.

In the latest reported figures, over half a million employees were in apprenticeships, almost 50% more than when this Government came into office, in large measure because of significant public investment made through the Youth Contract.

Although, traditionally apprenticeships were seen as the preserve of young employees and historically male and, largely confined to the “metal bashing industries”, apprenticeships are now proving ever more popular with women and older workers as a vocational route.

So the success of apprenticeships is something we should all celebrate – indeed Get Oldham Working will in large part be judged by its success in getting our young people into apprenticeships.

I would therefore like to ask you if you can outline what this Council intends to do to promote apprenticeships in this borough during the National Apprenticeships Week?

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Howard Sykes

Autumn Statement – Good news for Oldham

Cllr Howard Sykes, Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, has welcomed several of the key announcements made in last Thursday’s Autumn Statement as “good news for Oldham”.

Cllr Sykes said: “Oldham’s Liberal Democrats were particularly happy to hear that a free midday meal will soon be provided to every primary school pupil and disadvantaged college student; that local employers taking on young people will get a break from National Insurance contributions; and that small business and retailers will receive more support.”

“These measures will be especially welcomed by families on low-incomes, young adults who are seeking work, and small businesses, especially those that are newly established.”

“These practical measures have been brought about as a result of the influence of Liberal Democrat ministers in Government.”

“Access to school meals has been proven to lift the performance of pupils, which in the long-term must improve the employment prospects of these children when they become young adults, and support for employers and small businesses will help reduce unemployment in Oldham and boost our local economy.”

“Together, they represent a significant investment that will help ‘Get Oldham Working’”.

Notes

1. Free School Meals: The Government announced additional funding of over £1 billion over 2 years to provide free school meals for all infant school pupils and also for disadvantaged college students from Sept. 2014. 9,800 infant school pupils in Oldham will benefit from the free school meals provision. £150 million will also be made available to ensure that schools can build new kitchens or dining rooms where necessary.

2. National Insurance Breaks: Employers’ National Insurance Contributions (NICs) will be abolished in April 2015 for under 21-years-olds earning up to £16,000 per annum. For example, companies will save £1,000 each year for every young employee earning £16,000. There are currently 5,460 employees under 21 working in Oldham.

3. Support for Businesses: The business rate rise in 2014-15 will be capped at 2 per cent instead of 3.2 per cent (the increase in the September 2013 Retail Prices Index). Small business rate relief will be extended an extra year to 31st March 2015. There will be a discount of up to £1000 against business rates bill for retail premises such as pubs, cafes, restaurants and charity shops with a rateable value of up to £50,000 in 2014-15 and 2015-16. There will be a 50 per cent discount from business rates for new occupants of previously occupied retail premises for 18 months. Businesses will be able to pay rates over 12 months rather than 10 from 2014.

Shaw and Crompton celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Oldham to Rochdale Railway Line

The Railway line and now the Metrolink line are 150 years old

Come and join us to celebrate the occasion

Saturday 2nd November 2013

Shaw and Crompton Metrolink stop, Beal Lane at 10.45am

Metrolink have promised that tram 3050 will be in service

Trams will be running with commemorative boards

A plaque marking the event will be unveiled by the Mayor of Oldham

Shaw and Crompton District Executive part of Oldham Council

Shaw and Crompton Parish Council – Chairman’s Crompton Circuit Walk

Chairman’s Crompton Circuit Walk
(free guided walk of just over 11 miles)

Sunday 22 September 2013 – Starting at 10:00am and Finishing 4:30pm

Meet at Dunwood Park Café, Smallbrook Road, Shaw OL2 7UQ with a Pit-stop at the halfway mark, around 1:00pm – 2:00pm at St Joseph’s Church, Oldham Road,
Shaw OL2 8SZ

Or join at the half way mark if you wish.

For more information prior to or on the day of the walk please contact the Chairman, Cllr Dave Murphy on 01706 840056 or email cllr.dave.murphy@gmail.com

Please bring a packed lunch, waterproofs and suitable footwear.

Those with any health issues, please seek medical advice before participating in the walk.

Congratulations to St Mary’s CE Primary School, High Crompton

St Mary’s CE Primary School in High Crompton won the main prize of £500 in the Recycle Week ‘Don’t Bin It, Bring It’ competition.

This competition took place between 28 schools throughout Greater Manchester during Recycle Week, to encourage pupils and staff to recycle broken or unwanted small electrical items, such as kettles, cameras and toys.

St Mary’s pupils collected over one third of a tonne of these items. Overall, the 28 schools collected over 2.5 tonnes of material.

All of these materials will be broken down and recycled into new products through a reprocessing facility.

Well done all at St Mary’s!

Lib Dem Motion to help lift closure threat to iconic Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI)

Date: 8th July 2013

Oldham Lib Dems still remain concerned at any possible threat of closure to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry.

Councillor Howard Sykes, Leader of the Opposition on Oldham Council and Leader of the Lib Dem Group, and Councillor, John McCann, Deputy Leader, have submitted a motion to the next Oldham Council meeting on Wednesday 17th July outlining the concerns of the Liberal Democrats:

“This Council notes with concern the potential closure of the Manchester Science and Industry Museum.

The museum represents not only a great free day out for our borough’s residents and their families, but is also a splendid educational resource.
Visitors and students, young and old, are reminded that Manchester was both a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution, but also the home of such revolutionary scientific developments as the mainframe computer.
Consequently, the museum represents both a tribute to the ingenuity of Manchester people, past and present, and an inspiration to our region’s future engineers, inventors and scientists.
The fact that it is located in a building itself of world historic significance would make its loss all the more bitterly felt by the citizens of this region”.
The motion pledges the Council to take some definite action in support of MOSI:

“The Council therefore resolves to ask the Chief Executive to write to:
– The trustees of the Science Museum Group outlining this Council’s opposition to any threat of closure
– The three local Members of Parliament asking them to use every effort to oppose any threat of closure
– The other AGMA authorities and the GM Combined Authority asking them to join us in opposing any threat of closure”

Councillor Sykes said: “I believe that all three local party leaders are united in opposing the closure of this much loved and iconic museum.”

In advance of Council, on 13th June, I wrote to all three local Labour MPs asking them to sign Early Day Motion 196, which is sponsored in the House of Commons by John Leech, Liberal Democrat MP for Withington, who is a leading campaigner opposing closure.

Following my letter, Michael Meacher signed the Early Day Motion on 17th June and David Heyes did so on 24th June, joining MPs of all three main political parties in doing so.

Inexplicably to date, the Labour MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, Debbie Abrahams, has yet to add her name to the motion, which appears to contradict her stated aim to “honour and celebrate, not destroy” MOSI, so I urge her to do so.”
Ends/…

For further information contact Howard Sykes

Note to Editors

Early Day Motion 196 – Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry:

That this House notes with concern the possible threat of closure hanging over Manchester’s Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester’s most popular visitor attraction; further notes the historic significance of the Museum’s location housed on the site of the world’s first intercity railway station in a part of the world’s first industrial city; welcomes the Manchester Evening News’ campaign to keep it open; and calls on Ian Blatchford and the rest of the London-based Science Museum Group to ensure that this cultural and educational landmark is not sacrificed for short-term budgetary gains.

Primary Sponsor – John Leech MP

PARENTS URGED TO TAKE MMR JAB FOR CHILDREN

Oldham’s Director of Public Health is encouraging parents across the Borough to vaccinate their children against Measles, Mumps and Rubella.

Alan Higgins is urging parents who have not yet had their children vaccinated and young adults who missed out on their vaccinations to contact their GP to arrange their MMR vaccinations as soon as possible.

The move is part of a new national campaign aimed at getting as many 10-16 year olds as possible vaccinated before the next school year.

New figures show that measles cases nationwide are at their highest level for 18 years with almost 2,000 cases during 2012 and 159 in Greater Manchester alone.

There have been no confirmed cases of measles in Oldham this year and only one last year: the lowest rates in Greater Manchester.

However, the recent outbreak in Swansea, where more than 900 cases have been confirmed since November, shows that measles is still a problem.

Parents can ensure their children and teenagers are fully protected against measles, mumps and rubella with two doses of the MMR vaccine. Most children get the first dose of MMR at 13 months old and the second dose is offered to children when they reach 3 years and 4 months. The two doses together offer almost complete protection from the disease.

Over the last two years more than 95 per cent of Oldham children have been given the MMR vaccine. However, following the coverage of the now discredited link between MMR and Autism in the late 1990s take-up of vaccinations was lower at around 80 per cent.

We are now encouraging any parents and young people who missed out on their vaccinations to speak to their GP.

Alan Higgins, Oldham’s Director of Public Health, said: “Oldham has a good take-up rate of the MMR vaccination at present but there is an historical problem.”

“In the late 1990s and early 2000s many parents had concerns about what is a now discredited link between MMR and autism.

“As a result the take-up of vaccinations then was lower and, given the recent outbreak in Swansea, we’d like to encourage those parents who didn’t have their child vaccinated at the time to contact their GP to arrange for an MMR jab as soon as possible.

“Even if those children are now young adults it is not too late for them to be vaccinated.

“The key message to parents is that MMR is safe – it’s free and it can save lives.”

Parents and young adults wanting to know more about MMR should contact their GP or visit www.nhs.uk