Neighbourhoods hit the jackpot

Decision Day at Heywood Civic Centre

A total of £26,810 has been awarded to community schemes, including IT classes, health and wellbeing sessions and environmental improvements after the latest RBH Our Choice Decision Day.

The pioneering project  puts residents at the heart of the decision-taking process to ensure funds are directed to where they are most needed.

Decision Day, held at Heywood Civic Centre, saw residents from across the borough vote on the events and activities they wanted to see go ahead in their neighbourhood after listening to presentations on each.

Healthy Hearts and Minds sessions proved popular among Rochdale residents with projects in St Ann’s (£2005), Belshill (£1,415), Firgrove (£1260) and Mayfield (£1,200) receiving support. St Ann’s, Belshill and Firgrove residents also voted to part-fund youth engagement work with £145, £75 and £100 respectively.

Environmental improvements including a nature trail and wildlife habitat can go ahead at Caldershaw Green after Cutgate voters backed the project with £2,820.

Dustie Hickey, who made the presentation along with her eight-year-old daughter, Elsa, said: “We have a nature reserve that’s been forgotten for a long time. We want to make it accessible again because children need green spaces to play.

“Wordsworth didn’t write poems about pot holes and graffiti, he wrote about birds and flowers. Winnie the Pooh couldn’t have played Pooh Sticks if Milne hadn’t been inspired by a real wood.”

Sheltered housing residents in Spotland will benefit from £2,086 for health and wellbeing activities while £194 was given to part-fund youth work in the area.

In Heywood, voters from Bury Street (£1,900) and Heady Hill (£1,910) both gave strong support to improvements to Heady Hill Community Centre which will include an improved computer suite and better toilet facilities.

David Rothwell, from the community association, said: “We’re very pleased to receive the funding as it will allow us to help a lot of people by continuing to improve our services and develop our long-term strategy.”

Bury Street residents also provided £710 to enable sheltered housing residents to take part in indoor bowls sessions at Rochdale Hornets RLFC.

In Middleton, residents in Hollin chose to give £1,080 for advice and welfare sessions and £850 to Crocodile Joe - one-to-one sessions for children up to the age of 16 to learn about reptiles and spiders.

Girls Allowed - a group for girls aged 10-16 - received £1,036 and there was £1,850 for arts and crafts sessions for 5-15-year-olds during school holidays.

A total of £1,234 will fund swimming vouchers for children up to 16 during the holidays while money was also provided for residents to make bird boxes (£560) and an event to celebrate International Women’s Day (£500).

Sharon Worsley, of Hollin Estate Management Board, said: “I’m really pleased for the community that these events will be able to go ahead. They will all be free and be provided by the community for the community.

“They will bring people together and provide everyone with a lot of fun. Thanks very much to RBH for giving us this opportunity.”

In Moorclose, Junction and Baytree, £3,300 was provided to fund IT classes while a total of £580 will help deliver activities for sheltered housing residents.

Jonathan Walton, RBH Engagement Manager, said: “Once again Decision Day has proved a huge success with lots of great projects getting the backing they needed.

“We’ll be rolling Our Choice out across more neighbourhoods later this year to give residents the chance to shape the future of their communities.”