Church is forced out by rent rise

The Honeywell Centre, Hathershaw

CONGREGATION members at Oldham Family Church have been forced to find a new home after rent at the Honeywell Centre trebled.

The group has been based at the centre, in Ashton Road, for the past 10 years and welcomes up to 90 Oldhamers every week for Sunday service.

All group leaders were contacted by centre management to inform them of rent increases which will come into force on April 1.

For the Oldham Family Church, it means the weekly rate will soar from its current £120 to £360.

The group started life at the old Hathershaw Community Centre which was replaced by the Honeywell Centre.

Minister Paul Moores, a former sales manager, gave up his job to lead the group last year.

He said: “It was a shock to the system to hear that our rent will treble and we were only told at the start of March which left us with less than a month to sort alternative premises.

“We are all trying to think positively about it but it is quite difficult and we just cannot afford £360 every week — we only just managed to find £120.

“As a temporary measure, we are using Hotel Smokies Park in Bardsley and staff there have been excellent but we only have access to one room so there is nowhere to hold the Sunday School or the creche.

“In the future we will be forced to break the group down and hold smaller sessions in various parts of the town.

“We will hopefully be able to hold meetings at Smokies for the whole congregation on a less regular basis.

“I am sure other groups using the Honeywell Centre will be affected by the rent increases and I can’t see many community groups being able to afford those kinds of prices.”

Oldham Family Church has members from 11 different countries — some of whom have fled their homeland because of oppression and some here on work visas to build a new life.