Time for coffee - at the double!

Club Call highlights the hard work of community organisations and groups in Oldham and surrounding areas. In the latest, reporter USMA RAJA visits Shaw and Springhead to highlight the hard work and dedication at Shaw Salvation Army and the Springhead Community Centre

SPRINGHEAD COMMUNITY CENTRE

AWAY from his council duties, Councillor Derek Heffernan is busy serving up bacon butties and making coffee at the Ashes Lane centre.

And you could see the 69-year-old doing just that . . . all in the name of charity on the last Saturday of each month.

His chosen one is Macmillan Cancer Support but he has raised funds for the association, Royal Oldham Hospital League of Friends and Myasthenia Gravis Association for children with muscle problems.

Others include Saddleworth Parish Council’s Chairman’s charity. Councillor Heffernan and his wife Di raise between £150 to £200 a month for the special causes. He is there from 10am-12 noon.

The centre has been run by local people for over a year after they took over from the local authority and it offers a wide variety of activities.

Councillor Barbara Beeley, who helped save the centre from closure in December 2007, along with Councillors Brian Lord and Val Sedgwick, explained that the facility is used by a playgroup, slimming club, painting sessions and more.

It is also available for hire at weekends.

Bill Cullen, secretary of the association, added: “This facility was to close because of funding problems but the three local councillors helped to rescue it.

“It is open to anyone that wants to use it. We have groups coming from far away and have the only shooting range in the borough which attracts a lot of attention.

“Some of the groups from the Air Training Corpse use it as well.”




SALVATION ARMY, SHAW



THE Shaw Salvation Army Centre on Farrow Street has been running for 125 years.

It is open to anyone — from those wanting to attend one of its sessions and others who simply wish to share a problem.

Some of its daily activities include a friendship club for the elderly and a kids alive club on Thursdays from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

For its more older friends, it runs a coffee morning and a table top sale on the last Saturday of each month.

As well as its long list of activities, it also holds a community cafe on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am-2pm, musical evenings and is planned to hold a pancake day last Saturday.

Captain Heather Godwin explained: “The centre has been running in Shaw for more than a century.

“In a week, we see more than 80 people attending the various sessions. It is open to anyone and if people wish to come in and share a problem there is always someone here to talk to.”