Find out this weeks news from Oldham Council along with the latest on Covid.

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We’d like to wish everyone who is celebrating Eid next week, a happy Eid al-Fitr

Have a great time with your family and friends.

Written as Eid al-Fitr and sometimes known as Little Eid and Sweet Eid, it means 'festival of breaking the fast' and marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, which is a month of daily fasting for Muslims, between sunrise and sunset. Eid-ul-Fitr will signal the start of the next month, Shawwal.

Eid, like Ramadan, its date is dictated by the sighting of the moon – here’s when it’s predicted to fall, and everything you need to know about the festival.

When is Eid 2022?

The latest moon sighting calculations predict that Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Monday 2 May.

The Islamic calendar is entirely based on the lunar cycle, with each month starting at the time of the new moon, as soon as its first faint crescent, called a hilal, is visible. So officials look for the moon on the 29th day of the existing month. If it's seen, the month - in this case, Ramadan - ends and the next month (Shawwal) begins. If it's not spotted anywhere in the skies, then the month goes on for one more day and the new month begins the day after that.

This is the forecast being followed by the Islamic Calendar and would mean this year’s Ramadan will last for 30 days – it can sometimes last for 29 days too.

As a bonus for those celebrating Eid in the UK, this is the date of the Spring Bank Holiday ([link removed]) , which means many people will get a day off work for the festivities.


** Get ready for council elections on 5 May
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Local elections are taking place on Thursday 5 May to elect councillors who will represent the ward that you live in.

Voting in person
* If you’re voting in person ([link removed]) on the day, please check your poll card for details of where to vote on 5 May, when polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm.

Postal Voting
* Are you voting by post ([link removed]) in this year’s local elections? If so, please ensure you keep your ballot paper safe.
* If you can’t post ([link removed]) your own postal vote, either give it to somebody you know and trust to post it for you, or ring your local elections team, to ask if they can collect it from you.
* Forgot to send your postal vote back in time? You can hand deliver it to any polling station in Oldham or at Oldham's Elections Office before 10pm on 5 May.

Polling Card
* Lost or misplaced your poll card for the local elections on 5 May? Don’t worry! You don’t need it to vote!

To find out who is standing for election in each ward please visit our website ([link removed]) . Please note that the council cannot provide further details about candidates standing for election. However, information may be available directly from candidates or their agents elsewhere, including online, on social media or via leaflets delivered to your door.

Warning to hikers

The council and our partners hope you have a good time this May bank holiday weekend.

Are you planning a trip to Dovestones Trinnacle Trail this weekend? While beautiful, the route up to the Trinnacle can be difficult in places.
* Oldham Mountain Rescue Team’s guidance ([link removed]) on preparation before a hike
* Check the route and what is involved
* Is it within your capabilities?
* Check the weather ([link removed])
* Mobile phone apps and GPS devices are useful but cannot be relied on in cold / wet conditions.
* Carry a torch in case you do get caught out by fading light

Be moor aware
Did you know the Saddleworth moorland fires in 2018 lasted from June 24 to July 18.
A staggering 26,281 tonnes of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere.

If you are out enjoying the nice weather this weekend please don't be tempted to take or start fires on the moors – they are banned and dangerous.

Enjoy our countryside, act responsibly.

Jubilee joy for Oldham!
A host of events are already organised across the borough during the extended Bank Holiday weekend from 2 to 5 June, to mark the Queen's historic 70-year reign.

Thank you to all those residents that applied for a community street party grant to support celebrations in their own neighbourhoods. A total of 70 grants were available - one for each year of the Queen's reign - with £250 available for each party to be spent on food and drink, decorations and entertainment.

Applications have now closed; it's been fantastic to see the response from residents applying! We have received a great number of applications and it’s currently taking longer than expected to go through all the information. We will be in touch with everyone as soon as possible about the outcome from those who have applied! Anyone who is unsuccessful can still host their own events and will be contacted by the planning team.

Residents can also enjoy a host of other celebrations during the four-day Bank Holiday, including a light procession; a two-day family-friendly festival with street theatre, live music, dance, art, and activities including arts and crafts, and big screens showing the national Jubilee Pageant in London.

There will also be numerous ways for schools and communities to get involved in events throughout the Jubilee weekend; such as taking part in the Jubilee Beacon parade and joining in with family-friendly workshops.

Our galleries ([link removed]) and libraries ([link removed]) will also be hosting other activities, including the chance to watch our beacon, commissioned by a local artist, be lit in synchronicity with beacons across the UK and Commonwealth.

Full details of events, timings and locations will be available on the council's website, on social media and in the press nearer to the event dates.
Transport for Greater Manchester Roadshow
Streets for All is a people-centred approach focused on everything we do on streets in Greater Manchester.

Streets for All places a strong emphasis on reducing traffic and road danger and improving the environment for pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users.

TfGM ([link removed]) is holding an engagement event where Streets for All will be the focal point on Friday 6 and Saturday 7 May between 10am-3pm adjacent to Oldham King Street Metrolink Stop.

The event will involve a local artist to live sketch ideas and capture responses from the public.

Pop along if you can as TfGM want to make sure they listen to everyone’s views in the local community.
Cancer Awareness heading to Tommyfield Market

Want to learn more about spotting the signs of Cancer and how small changes can reduce Cancer risk?
Learn about screening and where to get more information
Talk about the importance of spotting Cancer early by speaking to the GP about any concerns
Dates:
Thursday 5 May
Thursday 9 May
Thursday 28 July

Location:
Tommyfield Indoor Market,
Oldham,
OL1 3BG

Time:
10am-4pm.- Pop on down for a chat

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Oldham Council . Civic Centre . West Street . Oldham, OL1 1UT . United Kingdom