Fitton Hill Calling … tune in to ITV 1 today at 5:30

Great to be in Fitton Hill this morning outside the former Holy Rosary Church with Kim from Spark Oldham, Ottilia Ördög & Stephen Haines with Granada Reports to raise awareness of our campaign to protect the former church building and give it a new lease of life for the community to use.

To find out more about this campaign head to https://theoldhammural.com and https://www.savebritainsheritage.org/news/fresh-hope-for-oldham-mural-as-local-group-sets-out-vision-for-church

Here is a link to the news story 👉

https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2026-04-04/plans-to-transform-former-church-where-take-that-singer-was-altar-boy

👏

Bring a GP practice back to Limeside!

I’m working with Dr. Saniya Abid to call for a GP practice to return to Limeside.

The closure of the St Chad’s Medical Practice in 2023 meant local patients were transferred to other surgeries further away. Local residents have been clear: access to a doctor close to home isn’t a ‘nice to have’, it’s essential.

Saniya – a local campaigner and candidate in Hollinwood – is a hospital doctor working in the NHS and knows the importance of early help and access to primary care.

We need to restore proper access to primary care that is local, accessible, and built around residents.

Please head to https://mailchi.mp/…/bring-a-gp-service-back-to-limeside to sign our petition calling for a GP practice to return to Limeside.

Easter egg giveaway at Chadderton holiday club

Fresh from our meeting on Friday I was delighted to see firsthand the work of Full Circle at their Chadderton base.

It was wonderful to see all the youth workers and volunteers, and so many young people enjoying the half term activities.

Thanks to The Yew Tree Club at Full Circle for having local me yesterday, and to Cllr Graham Shuttleworth who arranged for Easter Eggs for the children at the Easter Holiday Club.

£4.5 million of funding coming to community projects in Oldham

Great to see investment going directly into our communities through Oldham’s Community Regeneration Partnership.

Over £4.5 million has been agreed to back local organisations – the people who keep our communities going day in, day out.

In Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton, successful bidders include:

✅ Improvements to community centres used by local residents and groups like the Werneth & Freehold Community Development project and the Coppice Community Hub.

✅ Investment in church buildings supporting community outreach like St George’s Chruch in Chadderton, South Chadderton Methodist Church & St Mark’s PCC Parish Hall in Heyside.

✅ Upgrades to grassroots sports clubs and facilities like West End Street pitches & Avro FC.

✅ Enhancements to local parks and green spaces like for Friends of Daisy Nook Country Park

✅ Better facilities for youth and voluntary organisations like 6th Royton Scout Group and Age UK.

These organisations are the backbone of our communities. They bring people together, support those who need it most, and give young people positive opportunities. This investment from Oldham Council recognises that.

Now the focus has to be on delivery, making sure every pound turns into visible improvements that local people can see and feel.

Well done to all the groups and a BIG thank you for all you do throughout the year.

Backing young people in Chadderton with Full Circle

It was great to meet with Full Circle, a brilliant local organisation delivering youth provision in our borough for approaching 15 years.

They’ve been told they’ll lose their base at the former South Chadderton Youth Centre this summer as it is planned to be used more fully by Yew Street Primary School who took on the building a decade ago.

The years of hard work and dedication by Full Circle can’t be lost. Back in 2015, the agreement to share the building was central to its original transfer.

Full Circle isn’t council funded. They’ve built something from the ground up; 3 nights a week, weekends, school holidays giving young people somewhere safe to go and something positive to do.

On top of that the centre is also used by the councils youth service, together providing a much needed base for young people in Chadderton.

And we all know the reality: without strong grassroots youth work, we won’t tackle some of the causes of anti-social behaviour or stop young people being pulled into more serious harm.

There are alternative proposals on the table, but right now they come with big challenges and uncertainty. Thanks also to Cllr Graham Shuttleworth for the work he’s done to support the group too, let’s try and get a good outcome for all involved.

Local groups score

Big news for Oldham sport that after years of campaigning, we’re seeing real investment coming into the projects local people have fought hard for.

From restoring the West End Street pitches in Coldhurst (thanks in no small part to the work of Cllrs Jabbar and Malik) led by Oldham Community Leisure putting them back into community use where it belongs; and investment in grassroots clubs like Avro FC on Limeside who work with hundreds of young people each week, who are both in line for a share of the £4.5m Community Regeneration Partnership funding alongside many other groups across the borough.

And of course the inspiring proposal to create the £70m SportsTown at Boundary Park just down the road, forming part of a new mayoral development corporation, this is central to building opportunities for the next generation.

Taken with the recent reopening of Chapel Road pitches by Oldham Sixth Form College and the recent investment by Chadderton FC (with more great ideas to go even further, as I saw on a recent visit) there is a lot going on to boost local sport we can be really proud of.

None of this happens by accident. Thank you to the volunteers and sports leaders who make it happen, and to Oldham Council and the Mayor of Greater Manchester for backing so many of these projects.

Good news for pet owners – vet prescription fee capped

Britain is a nation of animal lovers, and so it’s great news that the Government has announced a cap on vet prescription fees.

It’s a simple change, but one that will make a real difference, helping people manage the cost of caring for their pets with a £21 prescription cap.

I’ve always had dogs around growing up and our house wouldn’t be the same without Alfie now, but I also know the worry when they become unwell.

This change comes alongside our flagship Renters’ Right Act which means from May this year tenants will get the right to request a pet. It’s not right that responsible pet owners are forced to choose between a roof over their head and keeping the pet they love.

I’ll keep pushing to make sure this is delivered properly and that pet owners here in our borough see the benefit.

Dangerous driving campaign in Frankie’s memory

It was a privilege to meet with Calvin and Frank to discuss the work they are doing to educate young people in local schools on the impact of dangerous driving.

Their efforts are powered by their own experience following the death of their partner and daughter respectively. Chadderton mum Frankie Jules-Hough, was just 38 years old when she was killed by a driver speeding at 123 mph whilst filming himself on the M66 motorway.

The impact killed Frankie and her unborn baby Neeve and injured two other children in the car. The devastating loss was cruel in that it was entire avoidable if not for the selfish and thoughtless actions of Adil Iqbal, who was later sentenced.

Oldham sees some of the highest levels of death and injury on the roads, almost entirely a result of driver error, recklessness and dangerous driving are an all too common sight on roads across the town. The lack of appreciation of the human cost of collisions and the power of a vehicle to cause harm is seemingly not appreciated, but it needs to be if we are to bring down the deaths and injuries caused.

The facts can’t be ignored. Since 2014, 45 lives have been lost and 737 injured on Oldham’s roads. Last year alone 8 lives were lost, 6 of those were pedestrians.

That is why the work Calum and Frank are doing in educating at a younger age is so important and has my full support.

They are both an inspiration.