Love where you live is Valentine’s message

COMMUNITY spirit: volunteers at a litter-clearing session at Moston Brook

OLDHAMERS are being urged to forget Valentine’s Day and remember to “Love Where You Live” to improve their neighbourhoods.

Oldham Council has chosen the most romantic day of the year to launch the scheme to promote civic pride.

Oldham already has one of the highest rates of volunteering in the UK with one in four respondents to surveys doing unpaid work in Oldham.

The campaign aims to tap into that local spirit and inspire residents to do their bit and get involved in their area in five different ways:

::Volunteering with a local community group.

::Supporting charity work.

::Organising or joining local events and activities.

::Getting involved in local decision making.

::Pledging to undertake a neighbourly activity.

Twenty neighbourhood ambassadors have been chosen to lead Love Where Your Live inspiring others by talking about their own contributions to the community.

They include residents like Adam Pietras, from Failsworth, who built a community garden, Tom Kearns, from Saddleworth, who helps young people through football and Malika Khatun, from West Oldham, who runs activities for young women at her local youth centre.

The council hopes to get an additional 200 people to give one hour a week over the next year to contribute towards an extra 10,000 hours of neighbourhood service.

Boosting civic pride and involvement is one of the key elements of the council’s ambition to make Oldham a co-operative borough. The council is supporting the drive by providing funds for community activity and encouraging staff to volunteer alongside residents to support community activity.

Council leader Jim McMahon said: “What I love about Oldham is the people, their pride in the area and their willingness to pitch in. Our residents are passionate about where they live and they are proud to live here. We also know that a lot of residents are already doing their bit and this initiative is about showcasing their work and encouraging others to get involved.

For more information about getting involved visit www.oldham.gov.uk/love.