£70,000 pay-out delight

CHEERS . . . the different groups celebrate their grants Picture: VINCENT BROWN

GRAFFITI artists, rock climbers, disabled footballers, gardeners and Asian folk musicians have all scooped a slice of £70,000

They are among the 30 groups which have received grants ranging from £500 to £5,000 from Voluntary Action Oldham.

The organisation supports the community and voluntary sector and handed out the money from the Oldham Partnership at an awards ceremony.

Groups which benefited included:

Chadderton Together which has events such as card-making sessions, armchair exercise and graffiti classes to bring different sections of the community together.

Asian folk and Bollywood music workshops by 3AM which run from midnight to 3am for young people who finish work in the early hours.

A new football team for disabled footballers at Springhead FC.

Climb Every Mountain rock-climbing sessions for over-16s at St Mark’s Heyside Church Lads’ and Church Girls’ Brigade.

The Greenfingers Group gardening activities for people with mental health problems.

Among the other successful applicants were Uppermill Band, Friends of Stoneleigh Park, New Generation Dance Troupe, Greenacres Badminton Club and Glodwick Cricket Club.

Claire Taylor, development officer with Community Action Oldham, said: “The grant award event went swimmingly well.

“It was exciting to be able to distribute money to groups that are able to do innovative and creative projects in their communities.

“The scheme’s priority was to assist newer groups and we were able to give out 13 grants to new groups set up in the last year.”