Brighter days: Oldham’s plan to keep COVID rates low as the borough begins new chapter
Oldham's residents are looking at a much finer forecast following a stormy 2020. But the council's new leader has warned there's plenty more to do yet.
Oldham spent half of 2020 on the edge and the other half in the headlines.
Whilst the initial lockdown lift in July was supposed to offer some respite from all the doom and gloom, this little old mill town didn’t have much time to enjoy its return to action.
Shortly after a county-wide indoor mixing ban was enforced across Greater Manchester, Oldham was quickly battered by big a wave of COVID infections – leaving the region teetering on the brink of a local lockdown for what felt like an eternity.
Oldham’s leaders warned that shutting down the economy would be ‘catastrophic’. But residents knew it could realistically happen. 100 miles down the M1 in Leicester, people had spent summer being forced to watch on from their windows as the rest of the world largely returned to normal.
It appeared Oldham was next on the quarantine list, and the borough spent weeks on tenterhooks, often expecting the worst.
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Those days seem like a long time ago now.
Six months on, Oldham has a real spring in its step.
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During the same week that bars, restaurants and culture venues reopened their doors, the region was treated to an extra couple of pages of positive news that made for fine reading.
Not only did the council bag £10.7 million to rejuvenate Oldham town centre, but new stats showed COVID rates are in such steep decline that the borough now has the fewest infections in all of Greater Manchester.
Cases plummeted by 42% up to May 13 – putting Oldham’s numbers lower than the national average.
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The data is refreshingly positive for a region that was, mere months ago, clinging onto its freedoms by its fingernails.
It’s been the perfect platform for Oldham to start a new chapter under Arooj Shah – who was officially appointed as the region’s first ever Muslim female leader this week and is hoping to lead the borough to better days.
.@shah_arooj has been officially appointed as the new Leader of Oldham Council at the Annual Full Council Meeting. After she has given her first official speech as leader the deputy leaders, Cabinet posts and committee members will be appointed. pic.twitter.com/WTswWflDZ5
“I am so proud of how Oldhamers have responded to the pandemic,” Arooj said.
“We have pulled together, shown true community spirit, and have all worked extremely hard to bring our COVID figures down.
“However, even though our rates are now below the national average, we can’t become complacent.”
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Arooj and Oldham Council have urged residents to “take care” in the weeks ahead – encouraging people to familiarise themselves with the rules and stick to them. Current data suggests that most cases in Oldham are circling among young people, and there remains continued concern about the widespread presence of a particularly infectious COVID variant in the neighbouring borough of Bolton.
“As COVID restrictions are lifted, we can’t afford for cases to increase now that those most at risk are those who haven’t yet been vaccinated,” warned Arooj.
“That’s why we’re asking everyone to get tested regularly, take up the vaccine when it’s offered and remember the guidance – hands, face, space, fresh air.”
Well done to team Oldham for bringing this together. A much needed boost to reset the town centre
There is so much to do, and always differing views on how best to bring about change, it’s now so important we rally together for Oldham@shah_arooj @CllrAmandaOL2 @CllrAbdulJabbarhttps://t.co/T8SUEZq667
— Jim McMahon OBE MP (@JimfromOldham) May 20, 2021
As part of a mission to keep infection rates down, the council is managing a dedicated COVID page online – containing all the latest rules and regulations.
The portal is designed to keep residents updated throughout – featuring weekly data that drills down into infection rates by ethnicity, age groups, and different wards within the Oldham borough.
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This ready access to comprehensive information is what the council is banking on to keep infections low: If Oldhamers understand the rules and the risks, the region has the best possible chance of making it through to the other side.
The council’s message moving ahead is simply “look after one another” – which ought to strike a chord.
After all, this is a borough that knows a thing or two about standing together.
Brits are petitioning to give ‘SIR’ Kevin Sinfield the knighthood he deserves
Danny Jones
An impassioned Brit, along with nearly 100,000 others, are championing a petition to give a Greater Manchester sporting role model a knighthood.
The UK is long overdue for a SIR Kevin Sinfield, if you ask us.
Yes, now five years after his first remarkable charity challenge in the form of his inaugural ‘seven in seven’ ultra-marathon, our very own Kevin Sinfield officially completed his sixth edition of the fundraising feat earlier this month.
Having now raised more than £1.2 million for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) in memory of his friend and former late, great, Leeds Rhinos teammate, Rob Burrow – and that just this year alone.
👏 An outstanding achievement!
🏃 Kevin Sinfield CBE completed his latest 7 in 7: Together Challenge this afternoon, raising over £1.1 Million for @mndassoc!
To take into account every penny he’s helped generate for the crucial neurological cause, he’s helped welcome in excess of £11 million since he started this tributary journey nearly six whole years ago.
Sinfield has become nothing short of a national hero over the last few years, and the people think it’s about time he is recognised with the highest honour.
The Oldham-born native has already been given a trio of notable awards, including an MBE, OBE and CBE, which also means he doesn’t technically qualify to be considered for a knighthood until 2027 at the very earliest.
However, the petition’s creator, Mel Handforth, believes that an exception should be made and the “arcane” rules around the New Year’s Honours should be changed to allow Sinfield (and, indeed, others) to be celebrated more promptly.
Even the Speaker for the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, is one of many to have argued for the stipulation to be scrapped.
Despite countless calls for him to be included in the most recent list, which saw the likes of David Beckham finally made a knight, he was overlooked due to the three-year gap protocol.
He also somehow missed out on being shortlisted for this year’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards, though you can guarantee he would have plenty of votes from the general public – especially here in the region and, indeed, over in his adopted second home of Yorkshire.
You can see who did make it onto this year’s list down below.
The same happened again at the Pride of Britain a year later, and the retired rugby league player turned union coach was also handed an honorary degree by the University of Leeds in July 2024, just a month after Burrow sadly passed away.
But Sinfield has quite literally had the backing of millions to be made ‘Sir Kevin’ for well over half a decade now; we made him our ‘Manc of the Month’ back in November ’22, and our stance on him being given a knighthood is even clearer now than it was back then.
As Handforth writes in the bio of the Change.org petition: “The words ‘legend’ and ‘hero’ are often handed out, but Kevin Sinfield truly embodies them both. He’s not doing this for recognition – he’s doing it because he cares deeply about the MND community and honouring his friend Rob’s legacy.
“Let’s show Kevin that his nation stands with him. Sign this petition to urge the Honours Committee to recognise Sir Kevin Sinfield for his remarkable service to humanity.”
If you agree, you can sign the petition to make him Sir Kevin Sinfield right HERE.
Government officially approves Eton’s plan to ‘remove barriers’ and open new FREE college in Oldham
Emily Sergeant
Eton’s plans to open a new free college in Oldham will officially go ahead following Government approval this week.
In case you need bringing up to speed a bit, plans for three new post-16 colleges – with the other two being in Dudley and Middlesborough – that are designed to help give young people who’ve done well in their GCSEs the opportunity to achieve the A-Levels they need to go to Oxbridge and other elite universities across the world were first announced back in March 2022, and then given the green light in August 2023.
Eton has partnered with Star Academies – which is said to be the highest-performing state school trust in the country – for the new colleges.
The colleges will aim to recruit ‘dynamic young people from deprived communities’, including in Oldham, and provide them with a ‘rigorous and rounded education’ that supports their ambitions to achieve places at ‘the very best universities’.
Oldham Council has welcomed the news that the new college – set to be named Eton Star Oldham – will go ahead, after the Government confirmed the conclusion of its national review into the proposals.
The decision means that Oldham will become one of the first places in the country to offer this new education model that combines high standards with strong partnerships and expanded opportunities for local young people.
The Government has officially approved Eton’s plan to open a new free college in Oldham / Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Approval means pupils from every background will soon have access to the ‘very best’ opportunities.
Cllr Arooj Shah, who is the Leader of Oldham Coucil, said this is ‘great news’ for Oldham, adding: “Eton Star Oldham will give our young people access to life-changing opportunities, no matter their background or where they start in life.
“We have been clear throughout that this must be a college shaped with our young people, our parents and our communities.
“Now that the Government has confirmed it will go ahead, we will work closely with Eton College and Star Academies to make sure this delivers for Oldham’s children and opens doors for generations to come.”
The Manc -
20th May 2021 
