Fresh faces, top talent and community wins as Hopwood Hall College celebrates standout apprentice success

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• Rochdale council invests £900000 to expand children’s homes for young people with complex needs

  Rochdale Borough Council has approved £900000 to create four new solo children’s homes in the borough. The move aims to help more cared for children and young people live closer to home.

• Community Iftar brings Rochdale organisations and residents together at Unity House

  A community Iftar in Rochdale brought together residents, civic leaders and local organisations to mark the holy month of Ramadan and share the breaking of the fast.

• Tony Walsh to host Rochdale poetry event celebrating town’s cultural year

  Performance poet Tony Walsh will host an afternoon of live poetry in Rochdale as part of the town’s year as Greater Manchester Town of Culture. The event will take place at Number One Riverside on Saturday 21 March and will also launch two poetry anthologies created by local writers.

• Rochdale theatre company tours schools programme tackling child criminal exploitation

  A Rochdale production company is touring a theatre programme designed to help primary school pupils recognise the signs of grooming and child criminal exploitation.

• All seven dogs recovered after van theft

  The final dog taken when a dog walker’s van was stolen in Oldham has now been found, bringing the total number of recovered animals to seven. Police said the dogs were abandoned after the vehicle was taken from Medlock Road in Failsworth.

• Creative messages for mums go on display at The Rock for Mother’s Day

  More than 100 people entered a Mother’s Day competition at The Rock Shopping and Leisure Centre, with ten winners seeing their messages displayed on floral themed boards in the centre.

• Rochdale Music Stories presents Kenion Street at Heywood Civic

  Manchester is known by many for its historically renowned music scene; however, the scenes and sounds of Madchester, Oasis and the likes commonly overshadow the notable influence of surrounding towns within Greater Manchester. Rochdale, Greater Manchester Town of Culture for 2026, is one of those towns whose musical influence is understated and a lot of the time, unknown.

• Six-bed HMO approved despite local anger

  A six-bed HMO in Royton has been given the greenlight by councillors, despite ‘anger and upset’ in the local community. Property owner Footlong (UK) Ltd can extend a house at 3 Kevin Avenue to create a six-person house of multiple occupation.

• Councillor Ashley Dearnley looks back on his 44 years of service

  Rochdale’s longest serving councillor is due to step aside in May after 44 years in the job. Coun Ashley Dearnley’s cheeky smile has been a constant in the council chamber since 1982, when he was elected at the age of 21.

• Two men jailed after masked burglary at Radcliffe home while mother and child were inside

  Two men have been jailed after breaking into a Radcliffe home in the early hours of the morning while a woman was inside caring for her young child. The pair stole a BMW from the driveway before being stopped by police minutes later.

• Major police operation in Rochdale leads to 41 arrests and large drug seizures

  Police made 41 arrests and uncovered three cannabis farms during a major day of action across Rochdale.

• New Littleborough family hub planned as work on £2.9m project progresses

  An old primary school in Littleborough will be revamped in a £2.9m project to convert it into a family hub. This will provide a dedicated resource for young people, offer health checks and cater for general community use for families in the Rochdalian town.