Oh What a Night

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Category: News

Created on Monday, 20 May 2013

The much anticipated #SingRochdale Zusammen Choir Procession took place around Rochdale on Thursday evening. Over 200 people joined in the drop-in choir, the rain stayed away and there was even some sunshine!

The procession was organised by the Rochdale Pioneers Museum and Touchstones Rochdale as part of the national Museums at Night Festival. The drop-in choir consisted of members of the public and community groups who came together to sing for one night only. All were given a commemorative #SingRochdale gold medal with a green and white ribbon. The choir was accompanied by Littleborough Brass Band and Rochdale Youth Brass Band as well as singers and musicians from Rochdale Sixth Form College.

The procession was led by Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) Junior Wardens who carried the #SingRochdale banner. The procession began at St Chad's Church at 6pm with the drop-in choir singing 'If I Knew You Were Coming I'd Have Baked A Cake' by Rochdale's own Gracie Fields, followed by Geoff Alexander's 'I'm Going Back to Rochdale'.

The procession went on to sing at various local landmarks including the Broadfield Park Bandstand and the Rochdale War Memorial. Songs included children's favourite 'Reach' by S Club 7, William Blake's Jerusalem and 'Eight Days A Week' by the Beatles. The procession ended at around 7.45pm at the Rochdale Pioneers Museum with the choir singing another Gracie favourite, 'Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye', and the Rochdale Youth Brass Band playing 'The Final Countdown'. The parishioners of the St Mary in the Baum Church, neighbour of the Rochdale Pioneers Museum, provided participants with tea and coffee after the procession.

Artist Susan Forsyth, who has previously organised Zusammen Choir Processions in Lisbon, London and Warsaw described the #SingRochdale event as 'the best Zusammen Choir ever!' and said 'huge credit to everyone in Rochdale for embracing the Zusammen spirit.' One participant said they enjoyed the 'friendliness, camaraderie and general 'feel' good atmosphere' with another saying they liked 'the fun, the brass band and no rain'. Rochdale Pioneers Museum Manager Jenny Broadbent said 'since the event several individuals have contacted us to to say they enjoyed it so much they'd like to see #SingRochdale become an annual event!'

Northern Lights: Atmospheric Craft Event

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Category: News

Created on Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Cartwheel Arts and newly developed Northern Lights enterprise team presents the first Northern Lights event at Rochdale Pioneers Museum.

Saturday 18 May, 11-3pm at Rochdale Pioneers Museum.

Beautiful craft stalls from the Art Cart project, atmospheric dance and music performances and handpicked creative stalls all come together for this free event. Come along and join in with creative workshops, watch shadow and light performances and purchase exquisite crafts from our makers.

The event has been designed and will be delivered by adults taking part in Cartwheel Arts wellbeing courses funded by Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities, supported by Dandelion Create and Bubble Enterprise.

For more information please contact Kerry Bertram, Art for Wellbeing, Project Coordinator  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or ring 01706 361300.

Rugby League World Cup to inspire in the classroom

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Category: News

Created on Wednesday, 15 May 2013

Schools in the borough are being invited to use this autumn's Rugby League World Cup tournament to inspire pupils by adopting a free education programme designed around the event.

Cross-curricular programmes in literacy, maths, music, creative, dance and art have been specially created for students at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 levels. Students and teachers may get the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the prestigious Rugby League World Cup trophy and also rub shoulders with international star players and official mascots 'Grubber and Steed'.

Photo: Classroom: The borough's schools are being invited to get involved in the Rugby League World Cup 2013. The tournaments mascot – 'Grubber' will be paying some of them a visit too!

A Celebration Day will be held following the conclusion of the programme on 28 October, the day when Fiji play Ireland in Rochdale, and every young person who has taken part will be invited to showcase their achievements at Spotland Stadium.

Students will receive a certificate from an international player and all participating schools will be invited to take part in a parade around the pitch at half time. Incentives and prizes include the opportunity to report on matches as an accredited member of the media, design the front cover for the match day programme, and for pupils to see their work displayed around the stadium on match day.

Councillor Donna Martin, Cabinet Member for Children Schools and Families at Rochdale Borough Council said the programme represents once in a life-time chances chance for schools: "It's a really great way for children to learn and be part of a major sporting event. I hope this programme is something hundreds of local children will enjoy. It's also an innovative way for our schools to inspire young people through the power and prestige of international sport."

Nationwide over 700 teachers and schools have already opted into the programme.

Schools can enrol free and get lesson plans and downloads by visiting www.education.rlwc2013.com.

The RLWC2013 Education Resource forms part of a wider programme of community-driven initiatives designed to engage, educate and inspire adults and young people through the power of Rugby League.

Rochdale is one of 21 stadia to host one of the UK's games, with the matches expected to attract a global audience of 40 million people. Tickets start from £10 for adults. There's also a scrum package where if you buy 6 tickets you get 10% off and a family ticket with 2 adult tickets and 2 child tickets available from £25. For ticket details visit www.rlwc2013.com call 0844 847 2013 or book in person at Spotland Stadium ticket office.

Rochdale Borough celebrates local boost for sport from National Lottery funding

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Created on Tuesday, 14 May 2013

Over 25,000 residents are set to benefit from a massive boost in funding that will see more than £470,000 ploughed into increasing adult participation in sport over the next three years in the Rochdale borough.

'Active8te ME' will help to get more local people into sport thanks to £204,681of National Lottery funding from Sport England's Community Sport Activation Fund in an announcement made today (15th May).

Link4Life, the Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust, is among 32 successful bidders receiving a share of £5.1 million of funding to support grassroots sport activity across the country to build a lasting legacy from last year's successful Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The National Lottery funding is designed to support communities across England to help ensure sport becomes a regular part of the majority of people's lives. Link4Life's successful bid ring-fenced total project costs of £471,111 to be used to increase once a week participation in sport by those aged 14 and above.

The 'Active8te ME' project will focus on eight sports delivered at eight Link4Life hub centres with a network of supporting community venues. The sports represented are athletics, badminton, cycling, exercise and fitness, football, golf, rounders and swimming. The result will be over 220,000 more visits to local facilities from those signing up. Building stamina, meeting new friends, feeling good and increasing fitness are just some of the benefits to those taking part.

The decision by Sport England to support the project is being attributed to the track record of success that Link4Life has been able to demonstrate over the past five years and the commitment to new sport and leisure facilities that has seen investment in the borough of more than £34 million, an area already highlighted by Sport England as an example of industry best practice.

Said Head of Leisure and Communities for Link4Life, John Taylor: "A track record of successful project delivery and strong local partnerships were key to the success of this bid. Each year we have been able to generate upwards of £1 million of external funding to deliver community based sports and leisure projects. The work we have been doing with partners on health improvement and widening participation among under-represented groups also demonstrated a solid basis on which to build."

Partners for the 'Active8te ME' project include NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Clinical Commissioning Group, Rochdale Borough Council's Public Health Service, Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, Greater Manchester Sports Partnership as well as a number of voluntary sector organisations and the national governing bodies of the sports represented.

The Community Sport Activation Fund builds on previous funding campaigns, which have shown that the key to success is finding out what people want from sport, and what's stopping them from getting involved, before designing an offer that's appealing, accessible and secures their long-term involvement.

Sport England's Community Sport Director, Mike Diaper, said: "This fund was created to respond to the demand among local communities for investment to reach down to the local level. By working with new partners, taking a flexible approach and investing in innovative ideas, we're offering people the chance to get into sport in a way that most suit their needs and aspirations."

Local government, voluntary and third sector groups and organisation are among those receiving funding and alongside Sport England's investments, all of the projects are contributing partnership funding towards their multi-sports programmes that will run for up to three years.

The Community Sport Activation Fund will invest a total of £40 million of funding over five funding rounds. The second round of funding is now open and closes on 1 July 2013. Community groups, charities and councils are among those that can bid for funding for up to three years, with grants between £50,000 and £250,000 available for a wide range of projects.

Successful projects bidding to this fund will demonstrate a focus on a defined geographical area and community; understanding of what local people want from sport with ambitious but realistic plans to get more people involved together with strong local partnership, including other funding sources.

Leader of Rochdale Council, Councillor Colin Lambert said: "I am delighted that our partner Link4Life is working with Sport England in this exciting project, increasing sporting opportunities for people throughout our borough. We are seeing more people participating in sport since the Olympic and Paralympic Games and I very much want to see grass roots sport continue to grow. This is a great example of how we can support a different approach to health within the community."

Photo: Julie Durrant, Active Communities Manager for Link4Life (left) breaks the good news to local badminton players.

Background information from Sport England:

Sport England is focused on helping people and communities across the country create a sporting habit for life. We will invest over £1 billion of National Lottery and Exchequer funding between 2012 and 2017 in organisations and projects that will:

• Help more people have a sporting habit for life
• Create more opportunities for young people to play sport
• Nurture and develop talent
• Provide the right facilities in the right places
• Support local authorities and unlock local funding
• Ensure real opportunities for communities.

The National Lottery has been changing lives for 18 years. Every week National Lottery players raise over £30 million to help change people's lives across the UK.

Full details of the Community Sports Activation Fund can be found at www.sportengland.org

Link4Life Training Academy introduces new Dance Leadership Course

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Category: News

Created on Tuesday, 14 May 2013

A great a new opportunity for anyone who wants to work in dance is now available.

Link4Life's new Training Academy is offering a new award in Dance Leadership from the end of May. The Level 2 Award will take place from Tuesday 28 to Friday 31 May at Middleton Arena and is a partnership with Hopwood Hall College and Sports Leaders UK.

The course provides the ideal starting point for learners who are aged 16 years and over and who wish to develop their dance leadership skills. The course is £35 and is free to anyone registered unemployed.

Learners don't need to be prima ballerinas - instead an interest in dance, a positive attitude and a willingness to volunteer are all that is required.

The course is delivered within 58 hours (including 10 hours demonstration of leadership) guided learning hours. It will cover a range of leadership skills in relation to dance including planning, leading and evaluating a series of dance sessions; assisting in organising and leading a dance performance; how to adapt and develop varied dance pieces.

Julie Durrant, Link4Life's Active Communities Manager said, "This course if ideal for anyone who has an interest in dance and who would like to run their own dance sessions in the future. As a stepping stone into employment it provides a fantastic start."

To find out more about the course contact Farah Rehman at Link4Life Training Academy on 01706 926233 or 07527 385815 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . More about training opportunities can be found on the Link4Life website at www.link4life.org/training.

Pupils get busy with knitted nature

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Category: News

Created on Tuesday, 14 May 2013

A group of Pupils from St. Edwards C of E Primary School, Castleton recently took part in a creative knitting workshop at Touchstones Rochdale with artist Alison Cooper. The children also worked together with Touchstones Rochdale's Knitty Gritty group who are busy knitting blossoms, butterflies and birds to decorate a blossom tree in Broadfield Park, Rochdale. The project is inspired by the delicately beautiful exhibition 'Bloom' on display in the Heritage Gallery at Touchstones Rochdale. This exhibition celebrates the significance of flowers and explores how floral motifs feature within the Museum and Art Gallery collections.

Sarah Hodgkinson, Museum Resource Officer for Rochdale Arts and Heritage Service commented, "The wonderful knitted installation that will soon be attached to a tree in Broadfield Park and is an exciting addition to our current knitted garland which has already been installed above the entrance of the Touchstones building. The project has been filmed and will be added to the footage already on display in the Bloom exhibition for all to see".

Head Teacher at St. Edward's C of E Primary School, Mrs Coxell Said, "The workshop was excellent. All the children were captivated by the knitting activities and it was very relevant to our creative curriculum approach to learning. The children were inspired by the fun art activities and are looking forward to seeing their work on display".

The pupils will see their nifty knitting displayed alongside the work of more accomplished knitters in Broadfield park. Members of the wider community are also invited to donate knitted blossoms, butterflies and birds to add to the art installation. Knitted items are being collected at Touchstones Rochdale reception and should be handed in on or before the 22nd May 2013. Please contact Alison Cooper on 01706 924492 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further information.

The knitting will be installed in Broadfield Park, Rochdale by mid June for everyone to enjoy.

The exhibition Bloom runs until Spring 2014 at Touchstones Rochdale. Opening hours are Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm.

Touchstones Rochdale is managed by the Link4Life Cultural Trust and is located on The Esplanade, Rochdale, OL16 1AQ. We are open Tuesday to Saturday 10am-5pm. Admission is free.

Badminton tournament brings an international touch

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Category: News

Created on Tuesday, 07 May 2013

Badminton enthusiasts from across the region have converged on Rochdale with around 100 participants bringing an international touch to the event.

The Link4Life organised event which took place at Rochdale Leisure Centre aimed to promote badminton and bring together individuals and teams from a variety of backgrounds through sport. The event was entered by 21 teams with individuals from Hong Kong, Canada, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, China and the UK. The players competed as teams representing Disley, Manchester, Middleton, Rochdale, Blackburn, Oldham and Rossendale and were split into two separate competitions on the day, one for social players and another for competitive league players.

After a very close fought competition involving more than 200 matches, the eventual winners were Sunar Bangla from Rochdale in the social competition and Alpha Whitworth from Rossendale who won the league competition. Prizes were presented to the winners by the Mayor and Mayoress of Rochdale.

Event organiser Sarah Shard summing up the day said, "The feedback from everyone taking part was extremely positive and it was great to see so many badminton players competing and having fun together. There are plans to run further events in the future".

Above: Sunar Bangla - winners of the Social Competition being presented their trophies by the Mayor and Mayoress.

Above: Alpha Whitworth - winners of the League Competition being presented their trophies by the Mayor and Mayoress.

To find out more about badminton coaching sessions for junior players aged 8-16 and competitive and social play for adults contact Sarah Shard at Link4Life by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or ring 01706 926239 / 07976 498629