Cllr Arooj Shah leads Oldham's Housing Roundtable

Oldham pledges 500 new social homes

Oldham Council has pledged to get 500 new social homes built in the borough over the next five years.

The announcement was made at the council’s inaugural Housing Roundtable, which took place at Oldham Civic Centre yesterday and was led by Leader of the Council, Cllr Arooj Shah.

Senior representatives from all of Oldham's major social housing providers were at the event, along with private landlords, letting agents, developers and housebuilders, charities and more.

Together with the Council, they discussed Oldham’s housing crisis and how partners can work together to tackle it.

Find out what else was discussed by visiting our website.

An information graphic promoting Measles.

Measles is on the rise – are you protected?

You may have recently read that measles cases are on the rise in the UK. While 347 cases have been reported across the country between 1 October and 23 January, no cases are present in Oldham.

Nevertheless, measles can kill and it’s important you receive two doses of the MMR vaccine as this can offer protection for life.

Make sure you and your loved ones are up to date with their jabs, and if not, contact your GP practice for a catch-up appointment. For more info visit www.nhs.uk/MMR

What are your plans for half term?

As schools prepare to break up for February half term, we’ve arranged some exciting new activities for children and young people to enjoy while they’re off.

From indoor and outdoor sports camps to excitingly fun science workshops and creative arts and crafts, there’s lots going on and the best thing is – these activities are free and available to everyone.

For more information on what we have lined up and to book onto these activities in advance, please visit our What’s On website.

Are you a fan of tennis? You will ‘love’ this

More than £252,000 is being invested in tennis courts across our borough with refurbishments to these facilities set to take place across six of our local parks.

This major investment scheme comes as part of a partnership between Oldham Council, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and the UK Government.

Read more about this investment on our dedicated news page.

Children’s Mental Health Week

No child or young person should have to face mental health problems on their own. If you think your child may be struggling, local support is available in Oldham for them to access.

For more information, visit our website.

#ChildrensMentalHealthWeek

National Apprenticeship Week 2024

Our Get Oldham Working (GOW) team will be in Oldham town centre next week to answer any questions you may have about apprenticeships and the services they offer.

Dates and times:

Monday and Wednesday, 10am to 2pm, outside Primark
Friday, 10am to 2pm, outside Rhode Island

Keep an eye out on our Facebook page throughout the week too, as we share case studies and roles available to you.

Find out more about the GOW team and how they can help you on your journey by visiting
www.oldham.gov.uk/gow and don’t forget to check out the latest apprenticeships in Oldham.

Have you been tested for HIV?

As part of National HIV Testing Week, residents have an opportunity on Wednesday 7 February to get a free HIV test at the British Red Cross Hub based in Oldham Baptist Church, OL1 1BT.

While symptoms of a recent infection with HIV can differ from person to person, some people may not get any symptoms at all, so knowing your HIV status is important and with early diagnosis, HIV is now a treatable and manageable condition.

If you can’t make it on Wednesday, don’t worry though because there are other ways you can get tested.

Have you been affected by a hate crime?

Monday marks the beginning of Greater Manchester's Hate Crime Awareness Week and as part of this we’re encouraging residents to come forward and report incidents they may have been affected by.

Hate crime is an act of violence or hostility that is directed at a person or group because of who they are or what they think they are, and it can come in many different forms such as physical attacks, a threat of attack and verbal abuse or insults.

It is important to know that anyone can be affected by such incidents, so if you have been affected by a hate crime as a victim – or even as a witness – call 999 in an emergency.

In a non-emergency call 101 or go to a nearby police station and report it.

Extra support is available for people who wish not to contact the police or for those who need extra support.

This can be accessed at the Stop Hate Helpline – 0800 138 1625 – a free confidential 24-hour hate crime reporting service, or by visiting one of Oldham’s various third-party reporting centres which are detailed on our website.

www.Oldham.gov.uk