Community to reap rewards of windfall

IN the money . . . from left, Gemma Russell (Groundwork), Sonja Costello (Charisma), Councillor Roger Hindle and Mark Holmes (Friend of Stoneleigh Park)

A FINANCIAL windfall will allow residents in St James’s ward to enjoy hours of activities, entertainment and fun.

Two groups are celebrating successful bids to the Community Grants Scheme which is run by Voluntary Action Oldham.

The Friends of Stoneleigh Park have been granted £3,208 while Charisma — The Campaign for Heritage And Recreation in the Sholver and Moorside Area — received £4,270.

Councillor Roger Hindle, chairman of Charisma and also a member of Friends of Stoneleigh Park, said: “This is tremendous news, not only for both groups, but for the wider communities within the ward.

“A lot of hard work went into preparing these two bids and I am very pleased they have been successful. The work and events the two groups will be doing with this funding will be terrific and extremely beneficial to the local community.”

Friends of Stoneleigh Park will use the money to improve facilities at the Community Building in Cheltenham Street.

Brew & Wii sessions have been organised along with visits to Oldham Library, Gallery Oldham and the local studies centre.

A trip to Oldham Coliseum’s pantomime and a community football tournament in Stoneleigh Park are also being planned.

Secretary Angela Cosgrove said: “It has been hard work pulling the information together for the application but is was well worth it in the end. We are going to be holding lots of events over the next six months, starting with a brew-and-information event at Groundwork Oldham at the beginning of October.”

The Charisma bid will fund a creative writing course and a lantern-making workshop which will lead to a parade around Sholver finishing off with a Christmas carol concert.

The group’s vice chairman, Sonja Costello, said, “We are really excited at the prospect of carrying out this work and holding these events. We have a good group of helpers and put on some successful events for children during the school holidays. I am sure they will enjoy the lantern-making and parade and I am really looking forward to the creative writing classes.”