Oldham charity which has helped 20,000 families up for national accolade
Date published: 05 November 2025
The Community Wardrobe team
An Oldham charity helping to keep kids warm this winter has been nominated in a national competition, The BIG Christmas Giveback, that seeks to shine a light on the people and organisations making a positive impact on local communities.
The person or organisation with the most nominations in the competition will win a £1,000 Town and City Gift Card, such as the Oldham Gift Card, with one person who nominated them winning a £500 gift card.
Community Wardrobe Oldham collects new and good-quality pre-loved clothing and redistributes it to families in need of a helping hand.
The charity also receives referrals from local schools, the council, health visitors, midwives and other organisations for equipment for families, including cots and prams.
Set up by Sally Maher in memory of her best friend Emma Jones in 2023, and running initially from Sally's garden shed, Community Wardrobe Oldham expanded, moving to Springhead Church.
After funding from local businesses, Community Wardrobe Oldham was able to open its own hub at 42 High Street, Lees in February 2025.
The group also attained charitable status in October.
Sally said: “Emma was my childhood best friend and died of sepsis in March 2023.
"On New Year’s Eve of that year, I decided to give myself a shake and try to keep her memory alive, opening Community Wardrobe Oldham with my friend Janine Whilliams.
"My boyfriend built me the shed in the garden and it gradually grew until I finally got the call from Steve Southern from Uppermill FC, Phil Allingham from Caffe Grande Abaco and Rachel Freeman from Freeman Accountancy who said they wanted to help fund the hub in Lees.
“We have a wall of love at the hub and all items are given out for free.
"We also have rails in the children’s centres and doctor’s surgeries where families can take a warm coat.
"The charity is run by a huge group of volunteers including Laura Washington, director, and Sian Hopwood with many volunteers giving up their time to help.
"This week, we had a mum who’d given birth and had absolutely nothing for her baby.
"We help everyone. It’s parents on benefits but also working families struggling to make ends meet.
“There was nothing like Community Wardrobe Oldham when I had my kids and I struggled, I want to be that person I needed when I was younger.
"One thing I love about Community Wardrobe Oldham is seeing the families we’ve helped bring back clothes for other families, because they know how hard it is.
"Mums helping other mums is like getting a great big hug, continuing that circle of community help.
"And it’s keeping clothes out of landfill too.
“Being nominated in The BIG Christmas Giveback means the world to me.
"The Oldham Gift Card is a brilliant idea because it supports local businesses, and we all need to help each other.
"If we won, we’d use the Oldham Gift Card to buy the things local families need.
"We have long lists of local children who need a warm coat or who have no duvet.
"No child should go to bed cold.”
Zoey Stansfield nominated Community Wardrobe Oldham and said: “Community Wardrobe Oldham’s aim is making sure no child goes without and is kept warm, and they also run a Christmas toy appeal and give kids in local schools a selection box.
"I think it’s a fantastic organisation and winning the Oldham Gift Card prize would be a phenomenal boost for them as they could buy the things that local families need this Christmas.”
The Oldham Gift Card is part of the award winning Town and City Gift Card concept from fintech Miconex.
Over 20,000 local businesses are part of Miconex’s local gift card programs around the world with over £45m spent locally through the cards.
Nominate a person or organisation in The BIG Christmas Giveback at: www.lovelocalwin.co.uk
The competition closes on November 28, 2025.
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