The vital volunteers protecting and feeding Oldham during the pandemic
Oldham Helping Hands deliver food parcels and essential items - for free - to anyone who needs them. They've been a shining light during a very dark time.
And right now, its residents are under a relentless siege from coronavirus.
The region’s alarming infection rate has seen Oldham receive more national press coverage than it has since 2001 riots – with talk of the town being cut off from the rest of the UK as part of a local lockdown.
Still as troubled as it may be, but Oldham isn’t a lost cause. People like Nadeem Iqbal have proven that.
ADVERTISEMENT
For the past four years, this guy has been delivering food parcels and essential items – for free – to anyone who needs them via his charity group Oldham Helping Hands.
Every week, Nadeem – who runs a 24/7 breakdown recovery company – and his volunteers surrender their precious spare time to support those in need.
ADVERTISEMENT
Their actions aren’t just keeping spirits up; they’re saving lives.
The organisation has been a crucial ray of light during a dark time – with their assistance proving invaluable throughout the pandemic.
“A while back, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go to a charity event in Bradford,” Nadeem tells The Manc.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I started doing it every Sunday, and then I decided to set my own up back here in Greater Manchester.
“We began by going out to Piccadilly Gardens to feed the homeless, and it gradually built up from there.”
During the winter seasons, Nadeem has even been known to use his ‘big monster truck’ to take people to work when they couldn’t drive themselves in heavy snow; offering his assistance wherever he could to those who needed it most.
As coronavirus crept into the town, Helping Hands swiftly evolved into a delivery service – dropping parcels on the doorsteps of vulnerable residents.
Ultimately it’s meant that, despite suffering a particularly nasty dose of the virus, Oldham has remained well-fed.
ADVERTISEMENT
“At the beginning of lockdown, I was going home to home between the elderly and vulnerable people,” Nadeem explains.
“I put messages on my pages, too, so people could contact me.
“It got to a point where I was loading a whole van up and knocking on doors in the town and just asking people if they needed anything. Not a problem.”
Nadeem himself has seen real defiance in the town – which has been teetering on the brink of quarantine for several weeks.
“Everyone’s stuck together – which is a good thing,” he says.
ADVERTISEMENT
“At times like this we all need to stick together.”
Of course, Helping Hands are indebted to the kindness of the community.
They’re always on the lookout for food and toiletries, and Nadeem wants people to know that they can get in touch with him at any time.
“Anybody that’s suffering in silence – speak up and message me through Oldham Helping Hands,” he says calmly.
“It doesn’t have to be public, you can just send me a private message – I’ll be glad to help.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I know there’s people out there struggling who don’t want to be named; and I know where they’re coming from.
“But there’s no shame – everyone is going through a bad patch right now. Anyone can contact me for help; no one else has to know.”
With groups like Helping Hands in the town, Oldham just might get through this after all.
You can donate by visiting the Oldham Helping Hands page here.
Everton manager Sean Dyche randomly pops up in the music video for Blossoms’ new single – and he’s great
Danny Jones
Did anyone else think they’d ever see Sean Dyche make his acting debut in the role of a Northern crime boss in a silly little music video for the Blossoms?
No, us neither but that’s the bizarre alternate reality we’re living in, apparently.
Blossoms are currently working on the fifth studio album and have already released their lead single entitled, ‘To Do List (After The Break-Up)’, but now they have a new song out as well, with a rather amusing music video to go along with it and somehow Sean Dyche has found himself the star.
The Stockport band teased the curious collaboration in April, giving us just short glimpses of the Everton manager and former Burnley boss with very little explanation – all we know is that it looked funny and it was.
Dyche is still busy trying to finish the Premier League campaign as strong as possible after successfully navigating the Toffees to safety even in spite of their points deductions this season, but it sounds like keeping them up has given him enough time to moonlight as an actor.
Sending the indie five-piece on a mission to collect something of value (yes, that’s all the info we have at this point as the story is still to be continued), it looks like the Kettering-born coach has a larger role to play in whatever this narrative turns out to be.
Playing what can only be described as some kind of semi-Manc mafia figure on the hunt for a very valuable piece of art, i.e. a big giant gorilla statue – one that many Stopfordians spotted being lugged around various parts of the borough –
They also shared a little bit of BTS footage from the shoot for the music video last week. Some lovely head-bobbing and unassuming surroundings here:
As for the track itself, it’s a bit of stylistic change for the lads who’ve mastered their 80s-tinged indie formula over the past decade but it’s an absolute pop and is already stuck in our heads.
Revealing that they’ve collaborated with contemporary funk, disco and electronic icons Jungle on the track, it doesn’t take too long to hear the influences. Look forward to hearing it at Wythenshawe Park this summer.
You can watch the music video for ‘What Can I Say?’ and the ginger-goatee’d football manager extraordinaire in full character HERE.
He’s not the only footballing figure who’s made an entertainment crossover recently either.
Featured Images — Blossoms (via YouTube)/Virgin EMI
Trending
KFC have launched their own perfume – oh, and a new burger
Danny Jones
Fast food giants KFC have launched their very own perfume in one of the weirdest marketing stunts we’ve seen in a long while.
That being said, we definitely want a bottle.
KFC‘s fried chicken-themed fragrance launches next month and is fashionably named ‘No 11 Eau de BBQ’, a nod to their newest menu item, the Ultimate BBQ Burger, which we also want in our possession as soon as humanly possible.
The franchise’s new signature scent launches in just a week’s time and, yes, you can genuinely buy it along with the new burger for a limited time only.
The UK-only release actually sold out when it came to pre-orders but Brits will be able to get their hands on another batch when the second lot drops on 7 May.
Promising a charcoal and smoky wood-scented aroma that immediately transports you to your mate’s back garden as he turns cheap burger patties into overly blackened dry pucks of meat that you definitely would’ve cooked better if you were in charge, the stunt is also helping raise money for non-profits.
Available in 100ml bottles and for just £11, 100% of the proceeds of every sale will go towards the KFC Foundation, which supports grassroots organisations empowering young people to unleash their potential and build a positive future in local communities across the country.
As for the burger that inspired it, the special edition menu item is a nod to BBQ season gradually approaching and they’ve even made a nod to our famously reliable British weather and its attempts to derail the art of outdoor grilling in a new advert.
KFC perfume and a new burger? Christmas has come well early this year.
The Ultimate BBQ Burger has already launched and will be on the menu until 9 June, priced at £6.49 or £9.99 for a box meal which comes with the burger, a regular mini fillet, regular fries, BBQ sauce and a drink.
And don’t worry, it’ll be available on delivery too — we know we’ve had problems with that when it comes to specials in the past.
As KFC’s No 11 Eau de BBQ perfume, you can wait in the online queue like everyone else HERE and let’s just say you’ll be fighting us and plenty of other Mancs for every last drop.