Council brass to rescue contests

COUNCIL chiefs have stepped in to help the survival of the Saddleworth and Lees band contests.

Oldham Council discovered that the traditional event, which dates to an earliest recorded contest in 1884, was facing difficulties following the withdrawal of some long-term sponsors.

But a decision has now been taken to grant £7,500 from the priority investment fund, a cashpot set aside to specifically support key projects and initiatives that have a real impact on the borough and its citizens.

It will help organisers ensure that the 2010 event proceeds, as planned, on Whit Friday, May 28.

Councillor Barbara Beeley, community champion for the Saddleworth and Lees District Partnership, said: “I have been pleased to support the band committee in its search for funding.

“I am sure we all recognise the importance of the Saddleworth and Lees band contests, which are the biggest annual events on the local calendar in many of our villages.

“Not only is this important to our local communities, however, it is also a key way in which we celebrate our heritage and promote the image of our borough externally.

“We are very pleased to be able to support the 2010 event and I look forward again to welcoming bands from all over the country and Europe to this fabulous free show.”

Council leader Howard Sykes said: “Nobody is immune from financial pressures related to the recession, so we are delighted to have been able to help ensure that such a showcase event will continue in 2010. The band contests are exactly the kind of cause that we established the priority investment fund to support.”

Previous examples of the use of fund include: supporting Bloom and Grow (the borough’s successful entry in 2009’s North West in Bloom), the Poppy Projection on to the civic centre last November, and the Festival of Remembrance.