Church cafe's opening will be a real laugh

A long-awaited cafe is set to open at an Oldham church's bicentenary celebration tomorrow at noon.

Funding was obtained to create the new One World Cafe at the Oldham Unitarian Chapel, off King Street, with workers currently putting the finishing touches to the building.

The cafe will be open to all members of the public and it will offer volunteering opportunities.

As well as local charities, the project has had support from business studies students at Oldham Sixth Form College, who have been working on a business plan and market research with the church to talk about how to encourage their fellow students to come to the cafe.

The community cafe will be opened by Reverend Bill Darlison, who is the president of the general assembly of Unitarian & Free Christian Churches.

This will be followed by drinks and sandwiches before a curry night starting at 6pm and a stand-up comedy performance from Rev Alan Finnegan, a Baptist minister who is a good friend of the Chapel's minister, Rev Bob Pounder.

The anniversary service will take place on Sunday where a a new stained-glass window will be unveiled to mark the Chapel's centenary anniversary. The window was made by local resident John Orsen.