Free bikes for job seekers

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Hundreds of free bikes are ready to be handed over to Greater Manchester’s job seekers to help them start 2016 with a new career.

Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM’s) Bike Back to Work scheme has around 400 recently refurbished bicycles to help people commute to their new jobs.

A bike can be a vital alternative for jobseekers who might struggle to get to work without one because of things like shift patterns and a lack of alternative commuting options.

Eligible applicants will also receive free equipment, such as helmets and hi-vis vests, and access to free cycle training.

TfGM can supply bicycles anywhere across Greater Manchester. Job seekers can collect them from suppliers in Wigan, Trafford, Bury, Manchester, Oldham and Stockport.

People should apply for bikes directly via their JobCentre Plus or Work Programme adviser.

For more information on the Bike Back to Work Scheme, visit www.tfgm.com/travelchoices and click on the ‘Jobseeker’ section.

Crompton Moor – Oldham Countryside Volunteer Ranger Group Event – Sunday 31st January 2016

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Oldham Countryside Volunteer Ranger Group Event, being held on Sunday 31st January 2016.

On behalf of Sara, Milo & Edward we hope you all have a prosperous and healthy 2016.

With that time of the month again fast approaching, weather permitting we have a repair/renew task this Sunday, involving a strainer/supports and fencing adjacent to Slences Farm, Crompton Moor.

If the forecast remains as it is today i.e. heavy rain, we have another task to tackle where we will be sheltered by the forest, Great Meadow.

In any event, if you intend to join us please ensure you have the appropriate clothing, footwear, and packed lunch if you are up for the day but would suggest a hot flask whatever length of your stay.

Meantime, if you have any issues that you may wish to discuss prior to Sunday or want any further details, please do not hesitate to mail or phone Edward Fulton on 07961 107860 or edward@edwardjohnfulton.uk

Time to Talk Day – 4 Feb 16

Time to Talk Day Is On The 4th Feb 2016The next Time to Talk Day will be on Thursday 4th February 2016.

Join us and let’s get the nation talking about mental health to help end the misconceptions around it.

Mental health problems affect 1 in 4 people every year, yet too often people are afraid to talk about their experiences because they fear it will affect their jobs or relationships. That’s not right and it’s why we need your help to break the silence and end the stigma.

Talking about mental health doesn’t need to be difficult, order your Time to Talk Day pack for everything you need to take part on the day.

http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/timetotalkday

Keep your home healthy this winter: free advice pack launched

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Click on this link for more information: Winter Wise A4 Poster 2

North West water company United Utilities, has produced a free advice pack to help people keep their homes ‘healthy’ this winter.

‘Fight the freeze: a guide to winter warmth’ features advice on how to avoid frozen pipes, what to do if a pipe should burst, and a range of additional tips and hints to help homeowners keep the heat in, and cold out, as temperatures start to drop.

According to the guide, one of the simplest things people can do to protect their homes from the cold is to lag their pipes, especially those located in the garage or loft as these are most likely to freeze and burst during periods of colder weather.

As well as potentially leaving homeowners without water for hot baths and showers – a disaster during winter months – burst pipes can also be expensive to fix. In the North West the average cost for an emergency plumber is £120.

Homeowners are also encouraged to locate and label their stop tap – the tap which controls water supply to a house – so that in the event of a burst, water can turned off immediately to avoid water damage that may leave properties cold and damp.

In addition to home health tips, the new guide from United Utilities also includes broader advice to help with winter wellbeing, such as where to access financial support with heating bills, where to look for warming nutritious recipes, and who to turn to with concerns for loved ones or neighbours who might be vulnerable to colder conditions.

‘Fight the freeze: a guide to winter warmth’ is available to download for free from www.unitedutilities.com/winterwise

Poowatch – New Technology solution to an Old Oldham Problem, says Sykes

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The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, was impressed to read recently of a new mobile phone app developed for Worcester City Council.

Cllr Sykes said: “Poowatch, which is a new free web app for smartphones, tablets and personal computers, was launched a couple of months ago in Worcester to help clean up the city’s streets and to shame irresponsible dog-owners to clear up after their pets.  I think this technology could be of great use in helping Oldham Council tackle this blight in our borough.”

Through the Poowatch app, residents can record any dog litter they spot in the city. The information they provide will help identify dog litter hotspots so action can be targeted in areas of greatest need.

Cllr Sykes added: “The good thing with Poowatch is that the public can be the Council’s eyes and ears in the community, and they are reporting real incidents in real time to enable prompt action to be taken.  This app gives residents the ability to help change the behaviour of irresponsible dog owners and to contribute to both a more co-operative and a cleaner borough.”

The new web app has been jointly developed by the Safer Worcester Partnership, the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust (DWT) and Worcester City Council with funding from West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The web app – which is free to access – uses GPS locaters to provide a simple and easy way for people to report dog mess and will help create an interactive map of the city showing the worst affected areas.  It also shows the nearest bin to the location of the person accessing the app.

Cllr Sykes added: “As this is free there is no deterrent to residents who are tech savvy from accessing it and using it.  Councillors are constantly approached by constituents, many who are responsible dog owners, who are enraged by seeing dog poo on our pavements and who demand some real action.  Poowatch allows them to be part of that action and make a difference rather than simply registering a complaint.”

Cllr Sykes has written to Helen Lockwood, Executive Director of Co-operatives and Neighbourhoods, and Carol Brown, Director of Environmental Services, asking them to investigate the merits and costs of bringing Poowatch to Oldham Borough.

The Big Moss Map Sphagnum Survey Training on Crompton Moor Saturday 30th January 2016

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The Big Moss Map Sphagnum Survey Training on Crompton Moor Saturday 30th January 2016 10:30 to 14:30 Shore Edge Methodist Church, Buckstones Road, Shaw, OL2 8LS.

Scientists from The Moors for the Future Partnership have asked Friends of Crompton Moor to help them log an important lifesaving moorland plant, and help create The Big Moss Map.

Sphagnum is seen as a vital weapon in the war against climate change, and walkers on the moors can now take part in a unique project to make a map of where sphagnum moss is found.

The Big Moss Map will help scientists and conservationists in their efforts to save the region’s blanket bog habitat.

Healthy peat bogs are important wildlife habitats, a vital store of carbon, help provide high quality drinking water, and slow down surface run-off which helps to reduce flooding.

Creating The Big Moss Map gives us all an opportunity to get out and about and build a picture of how the moors are changing, whilst raising awareness of the importance of sphagnum.

The training session will begin with an indoor presentation at Shore Edge Church, followed by an outdoor session on Crompton Moor for practical identification and instructions on how to survey.

To confirm a booking, or for further information, please contact:
Marian Herod
Secretary – Friends of Crompton Moor
Tel: 07792 156295
www.cromptonmoor.co.uk
email: cromptonmoor@gmail.com

Street Charter will make Streets Safer for Sight Impaired, say Lib Dems

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The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, will be proposing a motion to Wednesday’s Oldham Council meeting (16/12/15) that the Council look to work with individuals with sight loss and organisations representing them to develop a Street Charter for the Borough.

In a survey conducted by the Royal National Institute for the blind amongst people with sight loss, nearly every respondent reported that they had collided with an obstacle (such as a wheelie bin, a car, or an advertising – or A- board obstructing the pavement) in the street within the previous three months, and a third of people reported an injury as a result.

Cllr Sykes said: “Like, the Royal Institute for the Blind, the Oldham Liberal Democrats find it unacceptable that those residents of our borough who have sight loss have to chance serious injury every time they step outside their front door.”

“We want the Council to take a lead in removing obstacles and hazards from our streets and pavements.”

“Many of these already pose a significant hazard to the elderly, wheelchair users and parents with prams and buggies but imagine how much more of a hazard they are to those suffering from sight loss.”

“If we do not take action then the situation will only get worse – it is expected that the number of residents in our borough who live with sight loss will increase to nearly 9,000 by 2030.”

Cllr Sykes and the Lib Dems therefore support the ‘Who Put That There!’ campaign by the Royal National Institute for the Blind to raise awareness amongst the sighted and to ask local authorities to engage with blind and partially sighted people in their area to develop a Street Charter to remove obstacles and hazards from the public realm.

The Liberal Democrat motion calls for the Overview and Scrutiny Board to convene a workshop with representatives from the Royal National Institute for the Blind, people living in this Borough with sight loss and their local representative bodies and highways and planning officers to draw up a Street Charter for the borough.

Cllr Sykes added: “I am proud that the Oldham Liberal Democrat group have in the past raised many proposals in Council to support disabled people in this Borough.  We shall always champion sensible ideas in the Council Chamber to help those living with disabilities.”

“December is Disability History Month during which there is greater emphasis on identifying issues that impact on the lives of disabled people.  Last year we proposed more support for disabled people and carers seeking employment through the Council’s Get Oldham Working programme, measures to combat the evil of hate crime against disabled people, and the need to consider disabled access when the Council Chamber is eventually refurbished.”

Cllr Rod Blyth, Shadow Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding, who is seconding the motion said:

“I am proud to support this motion as I represent Oldham Council on the board of Sight Support Oldham.  This worthy charity has been providing support and advice to the visually impaired, and their friends and family, since 1878.”

“In the United Kingdom someone starts to lose their sight every 15 minutes. According to data from the Royal National Institute for the Blind there are approximately 2 million people with sight loss in Britain; 6,000 of whom live in Oldham.”

“As it is estimated that the number of residents in our borough who live with sight loss will increase to nearly 9,000 by 2030, this call for the Council to work with key partners and residents with sight impairment could not be more timely.”

Motion – Royal National Institute for the Blind Street Charter 

Council notes that:

  • Every 15 minutes, someone in the UK starts to lose their sight.
  • According to data from the Royal National Institute for the Blind (the RNIB) there are approximately 6,000 people in Oldham living with some degree of sight loss, and this figure is expected to rise to nearly 9,000 by 2030.
  • Obstacles in the public realm such as:
  • Inaccessible crossings;
  • Vehicles parking on pavements;
  • Advertising boards (A-boards);
  • Street and cafe furniture;
  • Wheeled bins and refuse bags; and
  • Overgrown shrubs and trees, and overhanging branches impede access and mobility, and represent hazards, for the two million people in the UK who suffer from sight loss.
  • In a Royal National Institute for the Blind survey conducted in 2014 nearly every respondent with sight loss reported that they had collided with an obstacle in the street within the previous three months, and a third of people reported injury as a result.

Council therefore welcomes the ‘Who Put That There!’ campaign by the Royal National Institute for the Blind and endorses the call to local authorities to engage with blind and partially sighted people in their area to develop a Street Charter to remove obstacles and hazards from the public realm.

Council therefore resolves to ask the Overview and Scrutiny Board to convene a workshop with representatives from the Royal National Institute for the Blind, blind and partially sighted people living in this borough, and their local representative bodies, and highways and planning officers to draw up a Street Charter for this borough.