Mayor’s pride at £44,500 pay-out

FROM us to you: (above) the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor John Hudson, and Mayoress Kathleen Hudson present the money to representatives from the charities that he has supported during his year in office

IT was smiles all round as Oldham’s retiring Mayor handed over £44,500 raised during his year in office to a trio of local charities.

Councillor John Hudson will hand over the reins of office to Labour councillor Fida Hussain at the mayor-making ceremony on Wednesday.

Over the past 12 monthsthe mayor has been raising money for the Terence O’Grady Social Club, the Christie Hospital in Oldham (which received the largest cheque, for £20,000) and Oldham Music Centre. He has also donated to a wide range of Oldham charities and groups

He said: “I am so proud of this superb amount raised as I have had a very busy year as Mayor so to raise all this alongside everything else is brilliant.

“We have helped other charities along the way but these are the three main local good causes that we chose to help and I am delighted that we have been able to donate this money to them.

“You don’t often get a lot of time to connect with people at all the events that you go to as Mayor so I am pleased that we reached this marvellous total.”