Marjorie named Woman of Oldham

Chairman of the Woman of Oldham committee Janet Larton makes the announcement to a suitably-stunned Marjorie Bamforth.

AN 86-year-old grandmother from Royton was given a standing ovation yesterday as she was crowned the 21st Woman of Oldham.

Stunned Marjorie Bamforth told the celebration lunch: “Thank you very much and wow! I never, ever, expected this.”

Marjorie has more than five decades of fundraising and voluntary work in different sectors under her belt after starting as a driver for what was then the Woman’s Voluntary Service.

She explained: “When my youngest son started school I thought I must do something so I joined the WVS. I did meals on wheels. It was a wonderful service.”

Marjorie, of Tandle Hill Road, went on to help at the contact centre set up by the Woman’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) to work with children and adults from broken families.

The mother of two was also secretary of the WRVS, volunteered for the Inner Wheel and the Multiple Sclerosis Society and organised WRVS volunteers for blood-donor sessions.

She celebrated her 70th birthday with a parachute jump for Rotary charity Life Education, which provides drug-prevention programmes for children.

Janet Larton, chairman of the Woman of Oldham committee, said: “She has even given up her Christmas day to transport people to a Christmas lunch. She has been a true stalwart over many years.”

Marjorie, who worked for social services, still volunteers in admissions at the Royal Oldham Hospital, escorting patients to their wards. She also continues to help organise volunteers for blood-donor sessions.

She was presented with the Oldham Evening Chronicle Rosebowl at a ceremony at the White Hart, Lydgate.

She said: “This is one of the most loveliest afternoons of the year. I feel strange, yet it is a lovely feeling to think somebody voted for me.”