Mayor praises Rochdale firms and community spirit in New Year column

This is my first column of 2026, so I would like to start by wishing everyone a happy and prosperous New Year.

As always, my diary has been extremely busy over recent weeks, as I begin the final third of my mayoral year. A lot done, a lot still to do.

One of the many things I am proud of in our borough is the amount of high-quality local businesses we have, showcasing Rochdale’s pioneering spirit at its very best. My diary saw me visit two outstanding local businesses, Hanson Springs Limited and NEMA Ltd. Hanson Springs, a longstanding Rochdale company, is a world leader in the production and development of spring and valve spring technology. Hanson’s supplies a variety of sectors, including oil and gas, nuclear and power generations, as well as railway industries and others.

I was proud to meet Malcolm, John and Lisa at Hansons, which was set up in 1963. The company is a great example of a local business that contributes to the social and economic fabric of our borough in so many ways: it was lovely to meet friends old and new, apprentices and time served workers, the founder, his children and grandchildren. The future is bright, with further investment planned Hanson’s will continue to thrive, thank you all for a wonderful visit and grateful thanks for your donation to my charities.

I also had a really enjoyable visit to another innovative Rochdale business, NEMA Ltd. The company leads the way with its superb apprentice scheme, where around ten percent of the company is an apprentice, ensuring local talent will help to drive the company forward, today and in the coming years. I was really interested to learn more about NEMA’s work with Rochdale Training to develop its workforce.  It was also inspiring to talk with apprentices about their career journeys and what attracted and inspired them to electrical and mechanical engineering. In a wide-ranging visit, I also discovered more about the company’s active magnetic bearing development project and its busy order book. An insightful event, which was a bit of a trip down memory lane for me, taking me back to my science classes at school. The company is another shining example of a successful local firm, leading the way in its field, with a dedicated and committed local workforce and outstanding apprenticeship scheme.

Many thanks to everyone at Hanson Springs and NEMA Ltd for such warm welcomes.

I was also very proud to attend the Royal British Legion county conference, where the chairman and Middleton veteran Ted Woolley delivered the opening words. It was wonderful to showcase the range of support Rochdale is delivering for our veterans, including the pioneering Breakfast Club, flag raising services, events and the range of help, advice and support we have in place. My busy schedule also included a visit to the powerful photography exhibition at Number One Riverside, Rochdale, honouring 25 years since NATO’s KFOR mission. The exhibition contains a number of moving human stories from the Kosovo conflict. The exhibition brought home the human side of conflict, poignantly capturing the role of our Armed Forces in helping to secure the peace. The exhibition underlined that not all conflicts are world wars, with soldiers undertaking a range of roles on a daily basis to help keep the peace. Lest we forget.

Visits to local schools are always enjoyable, none more so than a lovely afternoon I spent at St Johns CE Thornham Primary School in Middleton, where I received a really warm welcome from staff and pupils. Many thanks to the young people for all their interesting and insightful questions about the work of the mayor and congratulations on your In Bloom award as an outstanding school.

The mayor’s annual quiz book is always a highlight and this year over a thousand copies were sold, raising vital money for the mayor’s charities. Many thanks to Ken Smith for his hard work in producing another challenging and thought-provoking set of questions. 

I would also like to thank the East Lancashire Railway for our visit to the Inspiration Train, an exhibition that celebrates the past, present and future of rail travel in the UK and how railways helped to transform the UK, we were also celebrating a momentous partnership being formed between Network Rail and ELR. Thanks to the team for making Ken and I so welcome on our visit.

Last, but by no means least, I want to say a huge and personal thanks to my dedicated charities and the outstanding work of members of the Mayor’s Charity Committee.  Throughout the year my Mayoral work continues to raise funds for Springhill Hospice, Jolly Josh, Awakening Minds, Papyrus, Women’s Housing Action Group and the Johnny Alfrey Musical Memorial.

All these organisations do amazing work, supported by wonderful teams of staff and volunteers. Donations to my charities can be sent to:

The Mayor’s Office, Rochdale Borough Council, Floor 2, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1XU. If any organisation would like a visit, please ring 01706 924834 and my team will be happy to help. Further information on my charities and the work I will be undertaking can be found at rochdale.gov.uk/mayor