Find out this week's news from Oldham Council

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Get everything you need for Halloween at Tommyfield Market
If you’re set to start preparing for Halloween, Tommyfield Market has everything you need to have Spooktaular time.

Our traders have stocked up on everything from pumpkins, scary masks, decorations and food for your party, plus sweets to give out to ghouls and ghosts who come knocking.

The market hall is open six days a week, 9 to 5pm, and there is free parking from 3pm on weekdays up to three hours on weekends.

Visit the Market web page to find out more ([link removed])

#ExperienceTommyfieldMarket

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Spindles Town Square
Saturday 29 October, 11am–3pm, free

Join us for lots of free creepy activities going on in Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre throughout the day. Take part in spooky crafts, scary face painting and retro games.

Spindles Town Square Shopping Centre, Oldham, OL1 1HD

Diwali 2022
Happy Diwali to our Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities.

This colourful, five-day Festival of Lights starts on the 24 October, celebrating new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness - a positive message we can all appreciate.

#Diwali #CelebrateOldham

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How We Can Help you
As you may be aware we have recently announced our investment of £3 million to help Oldhamers through the Cost of Living crisis.

One of the things we are investing in is our helpline, so that more people are available to support you if you're in a crisis.

By getting in touch with us we can get you the right support. Don't struggle in silence.

If you find yourself in need of emergency help, call 0161 770 7007 (9am–5pm on weekdays) or the
We Can Help webpage ([link removed]) .

Black History Month
During Black History Month, it's important to acknowledge the shoulders our industrial history sits upon, and reflect on the sacrifices and contributions made to our borough.

African slavery in America once fed the British cotton industry, transforming Oldham from a small Lancashire hamlet to the "cotton spinning capital of the world".

Despite slavery being abolished in Britain in the 1830s, estimates suggest for every Oldhamer working in a cotton mill in 1860, there were eight enslaved Africans at the start of the production line in the US southern states.

The American Civil War caused disruption to the supply of cotton in Oldham, with many mill workers laid off.

However, despite their hardships, many of Oldham's cotton workers stood in solidarity with the enslaved plantation workers, declaring they would rather starve than support slavery.

We are Oldham. And we're celebrating Black History Month all through October to appreciate and embrace the Black communities that sit at the heart of our borough.

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Push The Button Competition
The Big Bang Bonfire – the biggest FREE bonfire event in the borough – returns on Thursday 3 November at Oldham Edge (5-8.30pm) and we are giving one lucky child the chance to turn on this year’s fireworks.

All you must do to enter our ‘Push the Button’ competition is enter your details ([link removed])

Entrants must be 12 years old or younger and live in the Oldham area. They must also be available between 5-8.30pm on Thursday 3 November.

The submission deadline for entries is midnight on Sunday 30 October and the winner (selected at random) will then be contacted shortly after.

For more information on the event please visit The Big Bonfire page ([link removed])

#BigBangBonfire

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£50k up for grab for tackling food poverty
Applications are open for the new Food Security Challenge Prize in Oldham offering more than £50,000 in start-up and scale-up grants.

We're inviting Oldham residents to design a new enterprise or service to reduce food poverty in the borough.

Grants of between £2,500 and £15,000 are available, and ideas that focus on long-term change, social impact, or increasing employment in the local food sector are invited to apply.

As a growing cost of living crisis bites further into budgets, demand for emergency support like food banks can only rise. Stretched already by declining donations and a volunteer shortage, the last resort for far too many is on the edge of breaking point.

This initiative is also offering mentoring for new or growing food enterprises that are developing the most effective responses to local food poverty.

Is there a glimmer of possibility amid the challenges? How might communities make a start on building a food system that better serves local people?

The deadline for applications is 29 November, t ([link removed]) ake a look at the Food Security website for more information ([link removed])

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Have your say on proposals for an Active Neighbourhood in Chadderton North and Westwood
Creating better and safer neighbourhoods is a priority for the council – that’s why we are proposing plans for an Active Neighbourhood in Chadderton North and Westwood.

The council has been contacted by residents concerned about the number of vehicles on the roads and congestion levels, especially as a number of primary schools are in the area.

Active Neighbourhoods look to create safer, quieter, and more attractive areas so residents have places where they can spend time with their family, friends and neighbours.

The consultation runs until November 4, you can take part in the consultation onlin ([link removed]) e
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Don't Trash Oldham Update
In the last month one of our CCTV cameras, which we can deploy across the borough, has captured three fly-tipping incidents at just one location.

Once we’ve identified the vehicles involved those responsible can expect a fine or to be prosecuted in court.

Since we started Don’t Trash Oldham we have fined more than 380 people for environmental crimes and successfully prosecuted 44 others. Cases against more people are currently going through the legal system.

To report environmental crimes, get involved in a community clean-up or to find out more information about the campaign visit Don't Trash website ([link removed])
Repositioning of town centre cable
Work is now underway to remove and reposition an electrical cable that runs underneath the town centre. Unfortunately, this may lead to some traffic disruption and some road closures will be in place.

Contractors are continuing to work seven days a week between the hours of 9am—5pm (aside from Remembrance Sunday when it is agreed that work will be paused). The seven-day-a-week approach is to ensure that the works are completed as soon as possible so it doesn’t disrupt the busy period in the run-up to Christmas.

The cable runs from St Mary's/ Tommyfield Market, through Parliament Square, and towards Sainsbury's. The moving of the cable should not involve any loss of power during the work.
The cable runs from St Mary's/ Tommyfield Market, through Parliament Square, and towards Sainsbury's. The moving of the cable should not involve any loss of power during the work.

Road closures are expected on the following dates:

23 October
Albion and Rock Street junction will be closed for 5 days.

24 October
Lord Street, round on to the High Street, will be closed for 10 days, although this will be removed as soon as practical.

The taxi rank will also be closed.

If you need any more information, please contact Trevor Haye on 0161 770 4516
or by email (mailto:[email protected])
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Oldham Council secures funding for work to improve bus journeys
The council has secured £632,050 towards developing a Quality Bus Transit (QBT) corridor - which will make travel quicker and easier for you.

The corridor will be an improved link between the borough, Rochdale, and Ashton, delivering real benefits by making sure you are better connected to access jobs, education, and training more easily.

It is the next step towards major investment across the whole corridor which will see bus stops, junctions, and public access improvements along the route.

New lower fares together with better bus routes mean you will have more money in your pockets and it’ll be easier to travel without using your cars. Less traffic will also help cut pollution and free up road space for essential journeys.

More information about the scheme and also other transport improvements the council is working on across the borough is available here ([link removed])
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Residents' survey
We’re conducting a borough-wide survey to help understand your views on our local areas, the council, and council services.

This survey is the biggest and most far-reaching of its kind for Oldham for more than a decade, and the findings will play an important role in informing our future decisions.

The survey is being conducted by the market research company Enventure and runs until 10 November 2022. It will primarily be conducted via telephone between the hours of 9am and 8.30pm, so if you get a phone call from this company it is legitimate.

There will also be researchers based in shopping and town centres around Oldham asking you to share your views about Oldham as a place to live.

Oldham Big Conversation and the Oldham Residents’ Panel ([link removed])
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Will your child be moving up to Secondary School in September 2023?
If they were born between 1 September 2011 and 31 August 2012 the answer is yes. Applications are now open and the deadline to apply for a Secondary School place is 5pm on 31 October 2022. It's really important that you apply on time. T ([link removed]) o do this you will need to complete the ([link removed]) online application ([link removed])

It’s quick and easy and ensures school offers can be made efficiently via e-mail.

Please note, there is only one application. No matter where you wish your child to attend school, if you live in Oldham, you will apply to Oldham Council.

All Secondary Schools and Academies will be holding open days and evenings during October. Make sure that you go along to as many as you can.

For more information visit the School Admissions web page ([link removed])

You can also contact the School Admissions Team on 0161 770 4213 if you need any help or advice.
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Connect with us on Social Media
Oldham Council is on Twitter ([link removed]) , Facebook ([link removed]) , Instagram, ([link removed]) TikTok ([link removed]) and LinkedIn ([link removed]) . Join our followers and get the latest news, events, alerts from across the borough, business, regeneration, employment opportunities and much more.

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