Eileen proves Oldham’s got talent

A DEVOTED employee has been nominated for a Council Worker of the Year gong.

Dr Eileen Bentley, Oldham Music Service’s director of music, is set to retire in July having spent the last 30 years inspiring generations of young musicians.

Now she has made the final shortlist from some 300 entrants in the Local Government Channel competition which lets the public decide the winner.

Eileen, who was born in Waterhead, joined Oldham Music Service in 1971 as one of the first singing teachers in England.

She went on to found the Oldham Girls’ Choir and later the Oldham Youth Choir which performed at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the School’s Proms.

Dr Bentley said: “As a child, music was everything to me and I wanted to try to make sure that as many Oldham children had the same joy, the same excitement, the same love of music I had.”

During her career, Eileen won a Pride in Oldham award in 2002, was awarded a doctorate from Manchester University and an MBE in 2006 for services to music education. She is one of five contenders to have been nominated in the Lifetime Service category.

Vote for Dr Bentley online at www.localgovernmentchannel.com before July 2.