Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Opposition leader on Oldham Council, is appalled at a new analysis. The shocking study shows the areas worst hit by Covid-19 will now receive some of the largest cuts in Government support.
Oldham Borough is in the top ten Councils hit harder than any other area by the virus. More than £100 million of public money has been diverted away from Councils in the bottom half of the English deprivation index. Oldham Borough is unfortunately one of those Council areas.
Conservative run areas are not receiving funding cuts in the same way. Many believe this is a sly political move by Boris Johnson and the Conservatives. Oldham Borough will now not receive £1.1 million diverted monies.
Councillor Sykes says “The cash was supposed to be for fighting Covid-19. Our communities need this money, our area is already struggling badly.”
“I commend bravery and hard-working nature of local people. However, Oldham needs the financial support! We cannot do without it.”
Residents are being invited to join a Greater Manchester-wide sing-along from their windows and doorsteps on Thursday May 28th at 7.30pm to show support for each other.
The event, called Together in One Voice, will be captured under social distancing guidelines with drones, street cameras and residents own films (user generated content) and edited together to produce a show for national release on the evening of Sunday 31st May.
Greater Manchester will once again harness the power of music and the benefits of singing to come Together In One Voice. The YouTube Live event with Manchester International Festival will feature songs and artists from Greater Manchester’s rich musical heritage past and present with a few special guest appearances.
The event will promote community spirit and encourage everyone to take care of their mental health in the weeks and months ahead.
On 15 May 2020 peacefully in hospital. Angie aged 61, beloved wife of Wayne and the late Tony. Dearly loved mum of Simon Anthony, dear mother in law of Kelcy, much loved by Shannon and loving sister of carol, Sandra and the late Brenda.
Private funeral service Wednesday 27 May, 3pm at Oldham Crematorium. Webcasting link of service will be shared via Headley Jackson’s shortly.
Family flowers only, donations if desired to the Samaritans c/o Headley Jackson Funeral Directors, Lyon House 48/52 Rochdale Road, Shaw, Oldham OL2 7SA.
I first met Angie, as she insisted in being called, along with Tony her first husband; who died so young and tragically; when they moved to Shaw from Brent (London) many moons ago.
They soon both got roped into activities locally in Shaw and Crompton with the Liberal Democrats.
Angie had many challenges in her personal life, but you would never know. She was a 100% glass half full person. She always had time for other people and their problems and was terrier like in getting justice and fair treatment for people.
She was a first-class ward colleague, elected twice, and it was an honour and pleasure to serve with her from 2002 – 07.
It was great to have her back on the Parish Council in 2015-19, where once again she was a credit to her community especially in the year she was Chairman.
There is a very long list of committees and bodies she served on during her public life. It is impossible to list them all.
The ones I remember her making and impact on where: Licensing Committee; Health and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee; Health and Adult Social Services Overview and Scrutiny Commission; Greater Manchester Coalition of Disabled People; First Choice Homes Oldham – Shaw and Royton Local Board; and a very active member of the A V Davies Charity – which I chair.
A lifelong fan of rugby league she travelled all over the country in her passion for the game. I had the honour of attending the Grand Final one year at Old Trafford with her and Wayne – and typical of Angie she sorted the tickets and all arrangements out!
She survived the difficult times when husband Tony passed away, supported by her family and especially her son Simon. It was great to see she found happiness once more when she married Wayne.
I have many found memories of my friend, who always had a smile. We shared one New Year’s Eve together at her home with Wayne. Our planned take away arrived much later than planned and we all had a few too many drinks before it did!
That was Angie all over a first-class champion for residents but a happy and jolly soul always up for a laugh, a drink and was always good company.
I was proud to call her my friend and her family should be very proud of the real difference she made to many people’s lives by her interventions. She will be sadly missed by her family but also by many in Shaw and Crompton.
The Liberal Democratsare calling on the Government to ramp up mental health support for health and care staff in Oldhamto ensure “world-class” support for those tackling the virus head on.
Highlighting the “deep scar” coronavirus will leave on health and care staff in Oldham, the local Liberal Democrats have put forward a package of mental health measures, including:
24/7 access to mental health support for health and social care workers, through a dedicated helpline
Guarantees that health and care staff will no longer be penalised for time off due to mental or physical ill health, including when transitioning between roles
Introduce an ‘occupational health passport’ so workers do not have to relive mental health traumas when they change jobs.
Additional training to ensure there are mental health first-aiders in every health and care workforce
Steps to standardise the quality and service offer to ensure that every health and social care worker can access the same, high standard of mental care support regardless of the where in Oldham they are based.
The Liberal Democrats want the roll out of these services to be for all staff, whether or not they are directly involved in patient treatment, in recognition of the wide scale of the impact of the COVID-19 across all teams.
If adopted, the proposals will improve access to mental health support for all those working in health and care settings.
Munira Wilson, Liberal Democrat Health, Wellbeing and Social Care spokesperson said:
“COVID-19 will leave a deep scar on our health and care workforce, who have gone above and beyond to tackle this dreadful virus. Thousands have lost colleagues, endured serious illness, or faced significant trauma.
“Our proposals include a mental health support hotline, open to staff 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our hospitals and care services are staffed around the clock, so the support services staff need should be too. In addition, we propose measures to ensure NHS and care staff are not penalised for days off due to ill health.
“The UK mental health response to COVID-19 should be world-class. That means investing now to prepare for the challenges ahead.
Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillor Sam Al-Hamdani said:
“The clap for our carers every Thursday evening is not just a gesture – people want to see those working on the frontline supported throughout the coronavirus crisis and beyond.
“We cannot underestimate the toll this crisis will have on our health and care staff in Oldham. There needs to be long term support to help all those who have risked so much to care for all those affected by the virus.
“Ministers must not stick their heads in the sand. It is essential they roll out these measures urgently, otherwise they are denying our health and care staff support when they need it most.”
Following recent guidance from the Government I want to update you on what we’re doing to keep our services running for essential travel and key workers. I also want to share the changes we’re making to keep customers and colleagues safe whilst on board, and the steps you can take to help everyone travel safely.
Keeping Everyone Safe First Bus has responded to government advice to enable social distancing on public transport and with immediate effect you’ll start to notice additional steps being taken to ensure a safe journey for everyone.
Our buses will be operating at a reduced capacity with around 1 in 4 seats being available. The Government has advised that people only make essential journeys and where possible travel off peak to avoid busy times, but you still may see ‘Bus Full’ signs as some services reach their revised capacity more quickly.
Occasionally a bus may not stop, most likely as it has reached its reduced seating capacity. If the bus does stop, but is near capacity, the driver will only allow one person to board for every person that gets off, so you may need to allow extra time for your journey and be prepared to wait.
In addition, you will also see further measures in place to help enable you to comply with social distancing guidelines. These include: New capacity signs by the entrance of each bus Seat signs and stickers to clearly show where you should and shouldn’t sit to maintain a safe distance Reminders to be considerate of other passengers No longer allowing standing.
What can you do to stay safe? You can help us by changing your behaviour in line with the reduced capacity. This might include: Only travelling by bus if your journey is essential Planning your travel in advance, avoiding peak periods Wearing a face covering when on board Sitting in a window seat, leaving an empty row of seats in front and behind On our double deckers, consider sitting upstairs (if you are able) Paying with contactless or purchasing your ticket in advance on our App Using the correct change if you must pay by cash No longer eating or drinking whilst on board Leaving windows open to aid ventilation.
Keeping you informed and updated We are working hard to ensure that our website, social media feeds and colleagues are updated with the latest information, as quickly as possible.
Our telephone lines remain open if you do need to talk to us. Our operating hours are 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. Outside of these hours you can contact us via the contact form on our website. Our team will be monitoring Twitter at the weekends between 9am and 5pm and on weekdays between 7am and 7pm.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
Stay safe, Giles Fearnley, Managing Director, First Bus.
