Find out what's coming up in Oldham this week along with the latest on Covid.

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Illuminate Festival – tomorrow!

Just a quick reminder about our late-night light festival, Illuminate, which returns to Oldham this weekend.

Grab your family and friends and visit Oldham town centre on Saturday 26 February, from 6 - 9pm, to take part in our parade and enjoy mesmerising illuminated installations and dazzling performances.

The event kicks off with a procession of light from Gallery Oldham to the Old Town Hall, followed by entertainment across the town centre.

Find out more about the event! ([link removed])

Don't forget!

Next Tuesday (1 March) sees the opening of our pop-up shop 'Oldham Made' in Spindles, which will sell amazing products such as crafts, clothes, gifts, locally brewed beers, and candles sourced from a range of independent businesses across Oldham.

The shop will be fun and quirky, with lots of larger-than-life installations, Instagram-worthy elements, and plenty of exciting product demos for shoppers to get involved with.

From Saturday 5 March, visitors to the store will also be able to collect four specially designed bags for life. All you need to do is spend £5 in an independent shop in Oldham, then bring your receipt to the Oldham Made store and exchange this for the exclusive bag.

Find out more and get involved here ([link removed])
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Temporary home for Royton Library

Royton Library is temporarily moving to Trinity Methodist Church on Radcliffe Street, Royton, from Monday 7 March 2022. This is due to the renovation works taking place at Royton Town Hall and Royton Library.

Royton Library will close at 1pm on Saturday 26 February in readiness for the temporary move.

A launch event is planned to take place on Monday 14 March at Trinity Methodist Church.

Any new Royton library members that join in the month of March will be entered into a prize draw where five lucky winners will receive £20 in book vouchers.

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Drop everything and read for World Book Day

Celebrate the 25th World Book Day on Thursday 3 March by taking some time during your day to read. If you’re on social media send Oldham Libraries a picture of where you are and what you’re reading using the hashtag #WorldBookDay.

Oldham Libraries social media accounts are: Twitter:@OldhamLibraries | Facebook:@OldhamLibraryService | Instagram: @Oldham_Libraries

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Nominate your local heroines for IWD 2022

We’re encouraging everyone across Oldham to nominate their local heroines – women who have inspired them or who have achieved something for Oldham – to be featured on the Council’s social media channels throughout the upcoming International Women’s Day.

It could be someone from a local voluntary organisation, a community leader or someone from our past like Annie Kenney or Lydia Beckett – just tell us why you’re nominating them and keep an eye out on the day!

The theme of this year’s event is #BreakTheBias, with the aim of encouraging us all to imagine a world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination – a world where difference is valued and celebrated.

Click ([link removed]) here ([link removed]) for more details. ([link removed])

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Who do you think you are?

Our Family History Festival is back, giving you the opportunity to discover your past and trace your ancestors. Running from Monday 21 – 26 March the festival includes talks, workshops, expert advice, and resources that will help you on your genealogical journey.

Find out more on the Family History Festival webpage ([link removed]) .
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Living with Covid

The Government has announced plans to start treating COVID-19 like other respiratory illnesses.

This living with Covid plan means all remaining legal Covid restrictions have ended effective from 24 February. This means if you test positive for Covid you will no longer be legally required to self-isolate and self-isolation support payments will stop. If you do test positive for Covid we still recommend staying away from others where you can to avoid spreading the virus, much like you would with other illnesses.

The advice for fully vaccinated contacts and those under 18, to undertake daily testing, and the legal requirement for contacts who are not fully vaccinated to self-isolate has also ended. There will be specific guidance for employees in particularly vulnerable services such as adult social care, healthcare and prisons. In line with these changes, contact tracing has also ended along with venue check-ins on the NHS app.

Free universal testing will end on 31 March with limited symptomatic testing available for at risk groups.

Booster vaccines will be offered to vulnerable people and those aged 75 and over this spring.

For more information, click here ([link removed]) .
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Can you still get tested?

Rapid testing for Covid-19 is still available and free of charge in Oldham until Thursday 31 March for people who have no symptoms.

Therefore, if you feel you need an asymptomatic test please continue to use our testing offer until then and for more information on this offer click here ([link removed]) .

Similarly, if are showing one of the three main symptoms of Coronavirus you should still go for a PCR test until this date.

PCR testing sites in Oldham for the week commencing Monday 28 February, include:

Southgate Street car park (Next to Oldham Library)
Monday to Sunday, 8am-6pm

Honeywell Centre, Hadfield Street. Hathershaw, OL8 3BP
Monday to Sunday, 8am-6pm

Peel Street in Chadderton, OL9 9JX
Monday to Sunday, 8am-6pm

Higher Memorial Park, Failsworth, M35 9DE
Monday to Sunday, 8am-6pm
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Latest Oldham Covid data

Over the last 7 days Oldham has a rate of 186 per 100,000 population, which is lower than the rate of 271 for the previous 7 days.

77.1% of Oldham residents have had their first vaccine, 71.5% have had their second vaccine and 54.1% of those eligible for a booster jab have had one.

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Have your say on family services

Oldham Council is proposing to bring its services for 0-19 year olds, which is currently delivered by Bridgewater NHS Trust service back into the Oldham Council and health services through a new partnership arrangement.

The intention of the partnership arrangement is to offer flexibility to support better and co-ordinated innovative approaches in services. It gives us an opportunity to bring services back into the local care and health system to make them more effective and to deliver them with our local NHS provider - Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust.

To enable the proposed changes we will need to create what is called a Section 75 Agreement. Section 75 agreements are designed to improve the experience of services for the people and families who use them. They enable Councils and NHS organisations to delegate functions to one another.

We now want your views on the proposal of this Section 75 agreement via our public consultation survey:

Click here to access our ([link removed]) Family services survey ([link removed]) .

The survey will close on Thursday 17 March so please share your views today. You can find more information on the consultation and the section 75 agreement here.

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Parliamentary boundary review – public hearing dates announced

The Boundary Commission for England is an independent public body, responsible for reviewing Parliamentary constituency boundaries in England. These are the boundaries we use when we vote in a General Election.

Following an initial review and consultation last year, the Boundary Commission has released its proposed Parliamentary constituency boundaries.

You can have your say via the consultation website, by email or letter, or in person during a public hearing set to take place on 3 and 4 March 2022.

Your voice matters - the commission considers every piece of feedback that it receives, on anything from where the proposed new boundary lines are to the names of the constituencies.

Find out more, have your say on the proposals, or book your place at a public hearing by clicking
here ([link removed]) .

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