Find out this week's news from Oldham Council

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Tomorrow, when Ofgem increase the energy price cap once again, it will force even more Oldham residents into fuel poverty.

We’re committed to helping residents through the cost of living crisis and that’s why we’re investing £3m as part of our We Can Help scheme. We’ve doubled our Warm Home Schemes and we’ll be investing another £420,000 this year. We’re also increasing our funding for crisis grants by £450,000 to help with people in urgent need.

As part of this investment, we’re setting up Warm Banks so that Oldham residents who are cold and cannot afford to put the heating on have a place where they can get warm.

You can find out more at www.oldham.gov.uk/wecanhelp

If you’re struggling, we can help. Please contact our emergency helpline on 0161 770 7777 and our staff will do everything they can to make things a little easier for you.
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Springboard – Oldham Dementia Carers’ Support Group

Tomorrow is the International Day of Older Persons and this year's theme is ‘Resilience of Older Persons in a Changing World’.

We recently visited Springboard – a group based at Downey House in Royton – and their resilience, warmth and kindness was undoubtable.

The purpose of the charity is to provide support, advice and leisure activities to people living with dementia, their carers and those that have been bereaved.

One of their recent activities included a visit from George, Ziggy and Eclipse – alpacas from Calderbrook Alpacas. They have also recently celebrated their 10^th anniversary with a well-deserved party. Over 70 people attended the event, which included afternoon tea and live music.

For more information on Springboard you can visit their website ([link removed]) .

Black History Month

We’re celebrating Black History Month! Throughout October we’ll be acknowledging the achievements of our black communities and the contributions they have made, and continue to make, to our borough.

As well as lots of facts and highlights of what’s going on throughout October and beyond, we’re also going to be telling first-hand stories of real experiences that give an insight into black cultures.

Please get in touch if you have an interesting story to tell and share the posts for people to learn more about black history in Oldham.

#BlackHistoryMonth
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Trash Oldham and we will find you
Marius State, of Fulham Street didn’t pay fines after he failed to clean up after himself on two occasions. He was taken to court and ordered to pay a total of £843.

Over the last 12 months, we have already issued more than 381 penalty notices and prosecuted 44 people for dumping their rubbish and this has resulted in fines and associated costs of £26,000.

We aren’t stopping there though, and we will continue to catch people who think it is okay to make our borough look untidy. But we need your continued support in this fight too though.

You can report fly-tipping and litter by visiting the council’s website at www.oldham.gov.uk/DontTrashOldham
Essential maintenance to public wifi
Please be aware that on Thursday 6 October, 5–6.30pm there will no public wifi available in council buildings. This is due to essential maintenance work taking place. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.
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Let's put a stop to Loan Sharks🦈
If someone is struggling to deal with loan sharks and debt, they may feel isolated, vulnerable and ashamed. While it might feel awkward to talk about these issues, asking the right questions and encouraging the person to open up about their experience can help them take the first step in seeking help. It will also make them feel at ease and less alone.

If you have been affected by loan sharks or have concerns about someone you know, confidential advice and support is available from the Illegal Money Lending Team.

Call the Stop Loan Sharks 24 Hour Helpline on 0300 555 2222 or visit the website for more information at www.stoploansharks.co.uk. Live Chat is available on the website between 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Next phase of the Southlink Scheme

As part of the next phasing of works on the Southlink Scheme, Prince Street in Oldham will be closed for 8 weeks.

This means that from Sunday 2 October at around 6pm there will only be one lane open on the southwest bound carriageway of Oldham Way. Please plan your journey as there may be delays.
Improved crossings will make travelling easier

We’ve secured funding worth £652,180 to build four cycle and pedestrian crossings in the borough – helping to improve safety for residents and making journeys for pedestrians and cyclists easier.

The funding, which will come from the Greater Manchester Mayor's Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund, was formally accepted by councillors recently.

The sites for the new crossings are:
* Salmon Fields, Royton (at the linear path)
* Wellyhole Street, Lees (at the linear path)
* Well-i-Hole Road, Greenfield (at the linear path)
* Well-i-Hole Road/Manchester Road, Greenfield (fully signalising the junction with provision of pedestrian and cyclist crossing facilities)

Read here for more information on improved crossings ([link removed]) .
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Stoptober starts tomorrow... join in

Did you know if you stop smoking for 28 days you are five times more likely to quit for good?

Stoptober is back, calling on smokers in England to join the 2.5 million others who have made a quit attempt with the campaign since it launched a decade ago in 2012. Nearly 6 million adults in England still smoke, and it remains the single biggest behavioural cause of preventable death, with 64,000 deaths a year.

If you are a smoker, quitting is one of the best things you can do for your health, allowing you to start moving better, breathe more easily – and giving you more money to spend. Join the thousands of others and start your quitting journey this October. Just search ‘Stoptober’ for more information and free tools to help you quit.

Strictly starJames Jordan ([link removed]) has recently opened up about his journey to stop smoking and explores how people can gain the confidence to give up the habit this #Stoptober.
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