Radio station celebration

LIVE on air (l-r) Dave McGealy, Jodie Barber and Andy Powell

Oldham Community Radio celebrated its ninth birthday with a live outside broadcast from the headquarters of First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO).

The radio station, which first broadcast in 2007, celebrated its milestone at the Union Street offices by interviewing Oldhamers who had received funding from FCHO’s Respect Our Community Awards event. The scheme gave local groups the chance to bid for £500 grants during two drop-in sessions in February.

Adele Jein and volunteer Rob Wroe, from community café Bean Good, in Union Street, received a grant and spoke about their work serving meals to people on low incomes. The money will pay for a freezer so they can accept more donations from local supermarkets.

Andy Powell, from creative digital hub Hack Oldham in Hardcastle Street, received funding for three projects. The social enterprise is set to move into Oldham’s new Digital Hub in Yorkshire Street, which will provide low-cost workspaces for entrepreneurs and new enterprises.

Members of Jubilee Colliery in Shaw spoke about their heritage project and plans for the coming year, and members of the Holland Close Residents’ Association, in Delph, described how the £500 will help their community gardening project.

Jodie Barber, senior youth work manager at Oldham Council and ROCA chair, said £440,000 has been distributed to over 190 projects since ROCA was established in 2007.

Dave McGealy of Oldham Community Radio, said: “It was a fitting to spend the day talking to the good people of Oldham who do some really interesting things in the town.”