£1m to support young families

A BID to increase the number of children’s centres in Oldham means families in every part of the borough will have access to their services.

Oldham Council’s Cabinet agreed to new children’s centres to serve Saddleworth and Lees, with the first to be sited at Greenfield Youth Centre, and the second at St Anne’s Primary School.

The new centres should be up and running by the end of March next year, while smaller satellite sites will be opened in Royton North, Failsworth East and Crompton.

They are expected to be sited in existing community facilities, with potential venues including Higher Failsworth Primary School, Fir Bank Primary School, to serve Royton North, and St Mary’s Primary School, to serve Crompton.

The proposals, agreed by councillors last night, are part of a £4.5 million cash injection by Oldham council to improve support for young children and families across the borough.

The cost of this phase is just over £1 million.

Oldham currently has 14 children’s centres, which each offer a variety of health, family support and childcare facilities for families with children under the age of five.

Oldham Council’s head of early intervention and prevention services, Maria Greenwood, said: “This latest investment will enable us to extend support to families through children’s centres right across Oldham and will ensure services can be accessed by parents wherever they are needed.”

Councillor Kay Knox, Cabinet member for children, young people and families, added: “The centres provide a valuable role in providing help to parents who are looking to return to work or to retrain after pregnancy.”




Higher standards



A MOVE to award longer, three-year contracts, for school transport will enable the council to press for long-term investments, such as new vehicles, to improve the service.



Councillor Lynne Thompson said people who use the school transport service would see nothing other than higher standards, and said the move would save a significant amount of money for the council.