Deal signed on charter agreement

Signing: Front row: Cllr Barbara Dawson, Jim McMahon and Cllr Shoab Akhtar; Middle row: Iona Dixon and Emma O'Donnal, Cllr Dave Hibbert, Cllr Abdul Jabbar, Cllr Jean Stretton, and Liz Windsor-Welsh

A HISTORIC moment was marked by council leader Jim McMahon as he joined partners to sign the Co-operative Charter.

Councillors teamed up with members of the Oldham Youth Council along with representatives from Voluntary Action Oldham to seal the deal of becoming a co-operative council.

The commission met after the Cabinet agreed to become a co-operative council and set in motion plans for change over the coming year.

The document sets out the council’s ambitions and values involved in the shift, taking in fairness, openness, responsibility, respect and accountability.

Signing: Front row: Cllr Barbara Dawson (Cabinet Member for Co-operatives and Community Development) Jim McMahon (Oldham Council Leader) and Cllr Shoab Akhtar (Deputy Leader);

Middle row: Iona Dixon and Emma O'Donnal (both of Oldham Youth Council), Cllr Dave Hibbert (Cabinet Member for Housing, Transport and Regeneration), Cllr Abdul Jabbar (Cabinet Member for Finance and Human Resources), Cllr Jean Stretton (Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods), and Liz Windsor-Welsh (Voluntary Action Oldham).

Back row: Cllr Philip Harrison (Cabinet Member for Adult and Social Care), Councillor Rod Blyth (Shadow Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods) , Mike Dodd (Royton, Shaw and Crompton District Partnership) and Mike Kendrick (Chadderton District Partnership).