I am halfway through my mayoral year and it has been an inspiring and insightful six months. I have been to every part of the community, across our township areas of the Pennines, Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, visiting businesses, schools, care settings, charities, voluntary organisations, seeing at first-hand what makes our borough the amazing place it is to live, work and grow up in.
I have cut ribbons to open new facilities, attended countless events, supported fundraising opportunities and welcomed so many diverse people and groups to the town hall to thank them for everything they do, including veterans, successful sports teams, award winners, community champions, inspiring volunteers and many more. So, at this mid-point in my mayoral year, a huge thanks to everyone across the borough for the warm welcome Ken and I have received. It means so much to us.
The recent remembrance commemorations again showed our borough at its very best. As the first citizen of Rochdale I was proud to lay wreaths at Rochdale Cenotaph and Wardle War Memorial on Remembrance Sunday. It was a poignant and reflective day, as residents of all ages came together to pay their respects. In our remembrance we honoured the fallen, people of all faiths and no faith. Veterans span the generations, so it was heartening to see so many different ages gathered at our remembrance services. Without the selfless dedication and sacrifices of our Armed Forces, the freedoms, liberty and values we cherish so much would have been lost. The turnout at Rochdale Cenotaph was one of the biggest for years, underlining the deep attachment and respect for our armed forces community across our borough. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. Lest we forget.
In addition, a huge thanks to our amazing volunteers who helped to sell poppies for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal, with over £30,000 raised across the borough, raising vital funds to help support serving personnel, veterans and their families throughout their lives with whatever the need, whenever it’s needed.
I want to give a special mention to people who are involved in local sport, particularly women’s sport participants. I was delighted to welcome Rochdale Hornets women’s team to the town hall, congratulating them on their unbeaten season and promotion. The team was presented with a special mayoral certificate for their campaign to remember. Well done to everyone involved. I would also like to mention Rochdale Mayfield’s women’s team, who also had an amazing season and played their part in the gripping final game against Hornets. Both teams emerged with great credit, showcasing local women’s sport at its very best. Much has been achieved to progress women’s sport, locally and nationally, over recent years but there is always more to do and I will continue to be a champion for providing opportunities for widening access and opportunities for women and girls to not only play sport, but to have the opportunity to make it a career option.
I am proud of our borough’s rich diversity, which was underlined by some of the events I have attended over the last few weeks. This has included Rochdale’s Got Talent fundraiser for the Mayor’s charities, where many young people displayed their talent across music, acting and the arts. It was a real treat to see 10 fabulous local acts perform for the chance to appear at the Mayor’s Charity Ball in April. From the impeccable timing of the dancers to the vocal skills of the singers and the musical skills of the bands, it was a great night out. Huge thanks to Mikey Thompson Entertainment from Roch Valley Radio’s Saturday Breakfast Show for compering. As was said on the night, we’ve always known Rochdale’s got talent - we just need to keep shouting about it.
In addition, the important Black History Month was marked with events and awareness sessions honouring and celebrating the rich heritage and contributions of the black community. I was also proud to attend the Nigerian Independence Day Flag raising event at Rochdale Town Hall, an important event on the calendar for our many Nigerian residents across the borough, and the Kashmiri flag raising event which is a key day for our Kashmiri community and a lovely and well attended ceremony. In addition, the day was marked with other community events, culminating in a charity dinner.
The arts has always been a huge passion of mine, so it was a very pleasant evening watching the Whitworth Amateur Musical and Dramatic Society perform the Sound of Music in their own imitable way. In a month of diversity and important awareness events, I was also very proud, as mayor and a Littleborough councillor, to support this year’s LittlePinkBorough which is always a fantastic event bringing together local people, shops and businesses together to promote cancer awareness. Many thanks and well done to everyone across the Littleborough community in helping to organise another successful and well supported LittlePinkBorough. Rochdale’s inaugural comedy festival was a success story, providing plenty of laughs, jokes and fun nights out. The events I attended were to packed and appreciative audiences.
I want to say a huge and personal thanks to my dedicated charities. 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
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