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.
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.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
But you’ll need to be quick though, as this tasty offer is only available until Tuesday 8 July.
Featured Image – Burger King UK
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The latest on Salford Red Devils financial situation as ‘winding-up’ petition is adjourned
Danny Jones
The current situation at Salford Red Devils is far from ideal, with the rugby league team currently owing hundreds of thousands of pounds in debt, not to mention facing further stress over finances with players owed wages, key personnel leaving and remaining uncertainty over future ownership.
So, why is the board expressing reassurance among supporters following the recent adjournment of a ‘winding-up’ petition, and what exactly does this mean?
It is no doubt a complex issue, but with the season concluding in October and the Greater Manchester club essentially being given a stay of execution, for lack of a better phrase, it’s possible that a corner could hopefully be turned soon.
Here’s everything we know so far about the situation in Salford and where the Red Devils’ finances are currently at.
Salford Red Devils’ finances and more – explained
For a start, they’re late on payroll again this month.
Salford Red Devils players have been told they will not receive their salaries today.https://t.co/ofHTR0uZyN
According to recent reports, Salford Red Devils owe more than half a million pounds to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) at present, with current estimates said to be in the region of £600,000.
The Super League side has fallen into debt due to a number of factors: their own performance as a business, cuts to local funding and a period of spending in terms of recruitment and pre-season preparation under the assumption of a subsidy from Salford City Council (SCC).
However, this would-be uplift – despite it being promised late last year – never came as the Council (having already provided £315k in ‘immediate’ financial aid back in March 2024) U-turned on the decision after it was revealed further backing was not in the budget.
SCC ended up owing around £2 million itself after stepping in to save both SRD and fellow rugby league outfit Swinton Lions, handing out loans to both clubs even prior to purchasing Salford Community Stadium and the surrounding area.
The Council ultimately shelled out north of £7.7m to buy the ground and sever commercial ties with previous owners, Peel. They had hoped to further alleviate pressure on the club, but Salford Red Devils (SRD) had already spent the money they were expecting to receive on new players, training and more.
SRD were then told to sell off a number of players by the league.
With all this in mind, something called a ‘winding-up’ petition – basically a document sent by creditors that demands the immediate liquidation of a company/organisation that owes them money – was filed by HMRC back in May, with the tax authorities demanding payment of the outstanding sum.
However, special dispensation appears to have been made not only due to the complicated and unforeseen circumstances Salford have faced along the way, but also for the sake of the Rugby Football League (RFL) itself, with the Red Devils still seen as a valuable sporting and community asset.
One of those unexpected twists was the takeover by a new consortium led by Dario Berta, whose investment failed to clear in time and resulted in the club being hit with the financial sustainability problem that saw them cutbacks.
In a small bit of good fortune, it has now been decided that the petition to liquidate the SRD has been postponed, though not indefinitely.
As expected, there is good news that the winding-up petition filed by HMRC against Salford Red Devils has been successfully adjourned by the club's representatives in London until after the season has finished in September.
It's important to focus on supporting Salford as they…
— The Game Caller 🗣🎙📻 (@TheGameCaller) June 25, 2025
What could happen next?
The date for coughing up what debt they owe to the tax authorities has now been pushed back to September, meaning they have until then to find the finances, or else they could very well be made insolvent in a matter of months.
However, as per BBC Radio Manchester, those involved in the ongoing process are “confident” that bridging loans will be put in place over the coming days to keep HMRC at bay.
And, nevertheless, head coach Paul Rowley has insisted that he can see “green shoots” starting to emerge around the club, despite still sitting bottom of the table with just one win to their name.
What’s for sure is that the local area isn’t giving up on them, with numerous fundraisers and charity events being set up to help support the club via the official Salford Red Devils Foundation.
Fingers firmly crossed that there is light at the end of the tunnel.