Simon Danczuk: Reflections on the last 12 months

Simon Danczuk MP

As Christmas approaches and families and loved ones come together, it’s appropriate to reflect on the year that’s passed.

In Rochdale there were many highlights for me, including seeing an incredible show of true Rochdalian spirit by our local sportsmen and women at the Olympics. Stuart Bithell learned to sail on Hollingworth Lake and it was a proud moment seeing him climb on to the podium to collect a silver medal. Everywhere you looked there were Rochdalians doing the town proud from footballer Craig Dawson and Littleborough hockey player Nicola White - who won a bronze medal - to judo star Sophie Cox.

Rochdale is sometimes in the news for the wrong reasons, but there are many positive adverts for the town that need to be celebrated. Among these is the Baum pub that picked up Greater Manchester’s CAMRA regional pub of the year award in 2012. If there’s a friendlier community pub then I’ve yet to find it.

Something else we should be proud of is the Pioneers Museum, which re-opened in October bringing visitors from all over the world to our town. A film telling the story of how the co-operative movement was founded in Rochdale was also released and shown to the nation on Film4.

Another important milestone saw Rochdale Boroughwide Housing become the largest housing mutual in the country. This is another great example of how we’re drawing on our heritage to constantly innovate.

At every opportunity I press ministers and other agencies for much-needed funding, and I was delighted to see our town finally get £10million of funding for a new bus station, Kirkholt get £1m of ‘Big Local’ funding from the Big Lottery Fund and Rochdale be named as one of only two retail pilots in the north that will help young entrepreneurs set up a business on the high street.

There are many great people in our town, but one of the most inspiring I’ve come across sadly never got to see 2012. Khuram Shaikh, a Red Cross worker from Milnrow, was killed in Sri Lanka on Christmas Day last year and we are continuing to campaign for his killers to be brought to justice.

Our office continues to have one of the busiest casework loads in the region and we'll be open from 10-2pm except on bank holidays during the Christmas period. Do pop in if you need any help.

I’d like to wish all readers a happy Christmas and all the best for the New Year.