Capital date for star Zoe

An Oldham Council star is set to shine on the national stage.

Zoe Charnock, the Corporate Parenting Manager, who recently received the ‘Community Hero’ trophy at the Council’s Star Awards, has been chosen to showcase the authority’s good practice at a conference in London.

The 34-year-old is responsible for ensuring the council and its partners recognise, understand and implement its responsibilities to children in care.

She ensures there are activities — drama workshops, film and music production courses and dance classes — nearly every evening for children and young people.

Zoe’s work since 2006 has been recognised with an invite to ‘The Future of Participation for Vulnerable Children — Best Practice and Reform’ conference on February 11.

Zoe said: “This is not only an opportunity for Oldham to shine but also an opportunity to challenge those often negative, stereotypical assumptions of looked-after children and care leavers in that they are perceived as troublesome, unable or unwilling to achieve.”

Zoe will be accompanied by a 16-year-old looked-after child to help at the workshop.

Councillor Kay Knox, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Families, said: “This is an indication of the work Children’s Services are carrying out to help make sure our youngsters get the best, and safest, start in life so they may go on to have a positive impact on Oldham and society in general.”