Celebrations and reflections in the neighbourhoods

Launching the Community-Led Energy Action Plans in the neighbourhoods provided the perfect opportunity to share, celebrate, and support the community-led work moving forward.

Across two weekends in June, celebration events were held in Westwood and Sholver, with a focus specific to each community. 

With the seed-funded pilot projects established, the workshops finished, and the community-led action plans approved by the neighbourhood groups, the Oldham Energy Futures participants came together for a final time to celebrate and share the outcomes within the local community.

In Westwood, the brief from our community connectors was clear; it had to be family-based, fun, and with great food and learning elements. 

Putting on our thinking caps, we invited local services that we felt would resonate with the community-led action plans and inspire people to engage with the action plan, explore the stalls and celebrate the work of Oldham Energy Futures.

The mood was undoubtedly celebratory; delicious, freshly made food came from the Millenium Centre’s own Social Enterprise ‘The Kitchen’, which employs eight local young people from the area.

Local Council services supported the event with representation from Action Together, Positive Cycles Oldham, and Warm Homes, providing information and signposting to residents, as well as details on recycling, cycle hire schemes, and home energy support.

‘I’m looking forward to attending the drop-in energy events at the Millenium Centre this year.’ – Westwood Attendee.

There was also an opportunity to learn how insulation in our homes works from the Carbon Coop team. Ibrahim from the pilot project was on hand to sign people up for more details about the energy drop-in sessions scheduled to run this year.

The Westwood community came out in force to partake in a family Zumba session, bouncy castle fun, and discuss the Community-Led Energy Action Plan with the Oldham Energy Futures Team.

With over 200 people attending the day, it was a great way to celebrate the work, commitment, and outcomes, of the Oldham Energy Futures project in Westwood.

In Sholver, the celebration was more intimate, with the community wanting to focus on the local area around them and celebrate the local green spaces and community hub.

Sholver’s dance troupe, ‘The Cascades’, set the day’s celebratory atmosphere with routines and plenty of audience participation. 

Leading up to the event, we invited residents to share their memories of Sholver and bring along photos to create a temporary ‘memory wall’ of Sholver’s past; on the day; the local historical society presented a slideshow on the history of Sholver.

Children and adults joined the Cracking Good Food Company’s workshop on reducing food waste, cooking up a storm with veggie curry and mini naans. In addition, all attendees had the opportunity to make wild seed flower bombs with Oldhams’ Get Up And Grow to plant in their gardens and encourage biodiversity.

Alongside this, representation from Groundworks, Fulwood Rangers, Don’t Trash Oldham and the Youth Service hosted information stalls, signposting residents to support and services in the area. 

‘I would like to travel places without having to change buses in Oldham. I.e. Shaw, Royton.’ – Sholver Attendee

Sholver’s pilot group – Sholver Travel Futures, launched their community survey at the event. Co-produced by the group, it aims to allow people to share their experiences of using Public Transport in the local area, explore how they may think about more sustainable travel options, and leave the car at home.

join us again soon to learn more about the pilots and the exciting next steps in the communities journey.

As in Westwood, the Community-Led Energy Action Plan was available to discuss with the Oldham Energy Futures team; visitors could chat and read through the document, with highlights displayed around the space.

The celebration event was a great success, with over 85 people through the door and many signing up to support the local pilot group in their plans.