Welcome to the Oldham Partnership newsletter for August.
Tell people from across the partnership your news, successes and events in this monthly newsletter. Send your contributions to Karen McCrackle.
Oldham will soon play host to a stellar musical line up of international artists and up-and-coming local talent. They’ll be performing in the borough for 7 Songs, a musical celebration featuring seven events over seven days across the borough.
New York’s incredible Hypnotic Brass Ensemble launch the week on 29 August at Uppermill Civic Hall.
Hypnotic are a nine-piece brass band featuring eight brothers. They mix afro-beat, funk and jazz to create an incredible live experience and have been wowing audiences at all the major festivals including Glastonbury, The Big Chill, and WOMAD.
They will be supported by Oldham samba and percussion band Meninos, who are all aged between seven and 18.
On 1 September 7 Songs presents the only northwest appearance by band leader, musician and producer Will ’Quantic’ Holland and his new band Combo Barbaro.
Quantic, whose latest album Tradition in Transition was hailed as brilliant by Radio 1’s Gilles Peterson, also comes to Uppermill as part of a tour that takes in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dublin and Paris.
Other festival highlights include a show by acclaimed folk artist Jim Moray at Shaw Playhouse, on 4 September and a showcase of artists from Manchester record label Humble Soul at The Castle on 3 September. Brass music again takes centre stage with a free 7 Songs Saddleworth Proms concert and barbecue at The Waggon pub in Uppermill on 1 September.
Tickets are available from Oldham Coliseum's box office on 0161 624 2829 or www.coliseum.org.uk .
Oldham Partnership has reached the final stages of the European Public Sector Awards 2009. Following a visit by the the awards adjudicator at the end of June, the partnership received news that Oldham is one of five nominees from across Europe in the 'new forms of partnership working' category. The final award will be presented in November at the EPSA 2009 symposium and ceremony in Maastricht, at which we will also deliver a workshop to share our practice with colleagues from across Europe.
CAA is the new framework for assessing public services in England. It will provide an independent assessment of Oldham and the quality of life of our residents.
Following our initial submission, the Audit Commssion has given certain elements of our performance red tags, to signify concern about our performance, and green tags to signify exceptional performance. Partners are now responding to these initial comments.
We expect to have a final report by November or December and will keep you posted.
11am - 4pm
Brownhill Countryside Centre, Dobcross, Oldham
The food fair will promote local food and encourage people to support local producers and businesses, as well as highlighting the importance of enjoying a healthy and active lifestyle. There will be a variety of stalls at the event, including many local food producers, where you can sample and buy local produce!
There are also plenty of activities taking place throughout the day including: a display of bee keeping equipment, information on beekeeping and honey products for sale, a health walk and pond dipping sessions in the nature garden
For any further information about the event please contact:
Brownhill Countryside Centre
Wool Road
Dobcross
Oldham
OL3 5PB
Telephone: 01457 872598
e-mail: env.brownhill@oldham.gov.uk
Find out more here: www.oldham.gov.uk/brownhill-food-fair
Have your say about the future development of Dovestones reservoir. Go to www.rspb.org/dovestone
Thirteen young people hit Oldham town centre on Saturday to highlight the many reasons why Oldham is a fantastic place to live, work and play.
They took over a shop window during the Festival of Diversity’s We made the garden party! event. From the shop, they premiered their own films, music and digital creations about Oldham and asked passers-by why the town is special to them. These comments were attached to red helium balloons and each person taking part took away someone else's happy memory of Oldham on a balloon.
The young people have all been channelling their creative energy through Peshkar’s Life in a Northern Town project, which is funded by Oldham Partnership.
Using digital media, visual arts, drama and interactive game play, the Peshkar team are working with young people in outreach work and a summer school to find the positive messages and stories about the town.
Zeeshan Mohammed aged 16 from Glodwick said: “It was great to see a film that I made on big screens in the town centre. We were all really proud.
“I have started to look at Oldham is a different way. Before this week I didn’t really pay much attention to it, but it’s got loads of interesting parts to it when you look closely. I’ve been learning how to interview people properly on camera this week, create and edit my own films, make music and explore cool things like light graffiti.”
A series of free money advice and guidance sessions are being held at various venues across Oldham.
These sessions are part of the government's Money Made Clear initiative to ensure that everyone has access to free financial advice during the recession.
The venues include:
Access Oldham, Civic Centre, Oldham OL1 1UG
Oldham Credit Union, 9 Albion Street, Oldham, OL1 3BG
Great Places Housing Association, 119 Union Street, Oldham, OL1 1TE
Regenda, St Chad's Centre, Limehurst Village, Oldham, OL8 3HH
To book an appointment at one of the local venues, please ring 0845 437 9479.
If you would prefer to receive advice over the phone, you can ring the Money Made Clear helpline 0300 500 5000. Alternatively, you can go to the website: www.moneymadeclear.fsa.gov.uk
Oldham Council is inviting bidders to undertake a programme of research and consultation activity for Oldham’s children’s centres.
In response to the Government’s stated intentions to have children’s centres providing access to a full range of integrated and prevention focused services in every community by 2010, and supporting the eradication of poverty by 2020, Oldham has committed to the creation of 16 children’s centres to improve the outcomes for children and families.
As part of the programme of research and consultation activities, bidders are invited to apply to undertake one or both of two research and consultation options.
Find out more here or contact Cindy Smith (cindy.smith@oldham.gov.uk) to request the tender pack.
Oldham town centre businesses and shoppers received a credit crunch busting boost this week. In a bid to ease the financial strain, on-street car parking charges were slashed by at least half from Monday, August 10.
The move, which is anticipated to cost up to £100,000, is being funded by Oldham Partnership Credit Crunch War Cabinet’s Rapid Intervention Fund.
It follows concerns expressed at meetings of the Oldham Business Improvement District (BID) and Oldham Town Centre Partnership.
Councillor Lynne Thompson, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, said: “It is crucial - especially during the credit crunch - that Oldham Council listens to and acts upon the genuine concerns of traders and residents who use the town centre on a daily basis.”
“The War Cabinet was established with the Oldham Partnership as somewhere we can build genuine support for all sectors of our community who are facing the harsh realities of this recession.
“An important part of that was to identify ways that we could intervene to play a positive role in helping secure the future of independent local traders who are concentrated in areas outside of core of the town centre like Yorkshire Street, Union Street and George Street.
“Customers are more likely to visit their shops specifically for a one-off visit rather than browsing and we"re confident - based on what traders and shoppers have told us - that slashing these charges will help promote the health of the High Street.”
This week Oldham Council also became the first North West local authority to save a local family home from repossession, using the national mortgage rescue scheme.
Judging has now taken place for Bloom and Grow, the borough’s entry into the prestigious North West in Bloom competition. Judges visited Oldham on 31 July for a whistle stop tour and judged against a list of five criteria: floral displays, permanent landscaping, conservation and recycling, local environmental quality and public awareness.
The tour began at the Civic Centre, travelling up West Street to see decorative barrier planters and the roundabout display produced for Oldham Choral Society’s 125th birthday. It then took a town centre route via the bus station and the Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre. At Market Place the judges met library staff and children enjoying a reading session at the spectacular floral ‘book’ display designed by Graeme Gibson, the council’s award-winning florist. Other stops included the Bloom and Grow shop, showcasing examples of local environmental work and High Street, where judges were greeted by Blue Coat pupils and teachers involved in planting projects. Continuing on past the revamped Old Town Hall’s exterior, the judges visited Sainsbury’s to sample ‘Bloom and Grow’ bloomers, and stopped at Gallery Oldham to see the gardens. Their journey ended at the award-winning Alexandra Park where apprentices and staff showed them around the historic gardens and observatory.
Winners of North West in Bloom will be revealed at an award ceremony in Southport on October 23.
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