Contents:
- Editor's welcome
- D-Day veteran from Rochdale celebrates his 100th birthday
- 25 years of Rochdale Connections Trust
- Striking stained glass window restored and reinstalled in Rochdale Town Hall
- Carl Abraham
- Dell Road reopens after major works to save route from collapse
- £100k donated by RKT Trust
- Civic honours bestowed on 12 for outstanding contributions »
- MysonPages conquers Yorkshire Three Peaks
- Chocolate chip stollen
- Wardle Scarecrow Festival
- Rochdale sweeps up at In Bloom awards
- Milnrow Balti crowned North West Restaurant of the Year at Britain’s top Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards
- Self-taught autistic artist shortlisted for award
- Chef David Hayden and wife Rachael run The Gallows in Milnrow, winners this summer of Come Dine With Me The Professionals.
- GEM Appeal Strawberry Sparkle Lunch
- Keeping financial control during the cost-of-living crisis
- Tickled pink! Best window displays for Cancer Research UK
- Hairdressing trend - Champagne pop
- No fault, no blame
- Gardening tips for winter
- Together we can tame the ill wind
- Memory lane
Winter 2022Civic honours bestowed on 12 for outstanding contributions
Twelve local people who have made outstanding contributions to the borough have been bestowed civic honours by Rochdale Borough Council.
Six community champions and charity workers, a local businessman and a former medical director have been given the freedom of the borough, while four former councillors were made aldermen. Rochdale-born England and Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh is also to be awarded freedom of the borough at a later date.
Sheila Acton was awarded freedom of the borough in recognition of her remarkable contribution to community and voluntary activities for over 50 years. She has been volunteering locally, supplying countless hours of her time, beginning with the Girl Guides movement in 1970.
Sheila is chair of Syke Community Base which opened in 2002, vice-chair of the Voluntary Sector Partnership, a member of Friends of Rochdale Town Hall, Rochdale Rotary and a recipient of the prestigious Paul Harris fellowship award.
A former Rochdale Woman of the Year, in 2007 she received the Greater Manchester Community Star award for her contributions to the community and voluntary sector across the borough.
Described by Councillor Ashley Dearnley as “a bright star in the borough,” Sheila said: “I am so proud and happy to receive this accolade.”
John Kay, consultant at Molesworth, Bright, Clegg Solicitors and former president of Rochdale Rotary Club, also received the freedom of the borough.
Involved with several charities, he was a director of Rochdale Enterprise Agency, chairman of the NSPCC Rochdale business group, director of Rochdale Deaf Society, the Children’s Rights and Advocacy Service and Rochdale Connections Trust.
A member of Greater Manchester Chamber and deputy chair of the local strategic partnership, John has had many other roles over the past 40 years, including supporting Littleborough Civic Trust and Littleborough Coach House. In 2018 he was named Man of the Year by Springhill Hospice.
He described the honour as “a wonderful surprise.”
Razia Shamim was also awarded the freedom of the borough. She is the first Asian woman in Rochdale to be awarded the freedom of the borough, and was the first Asian woman in Rochdale to be awarded an MBE.
She received the MBE in 1998 for services to housing and community relations and is chair of the Pakeeza Women’s Group, as well as a member of other local voluntary organisations aimed at reducing isolation among women, promoting cohesion, health and wellbeing.
Razia has helped raise thousands of pounds for various organisations, both in the UK and abroad.
Dr Musharraf Hussain, was made a freeman of the borough. He served Rochdale for over 40 years as a hospital doctor and then as GP at Healey Surgery until his recent retirement. Musharraf was also the clinical director of Rochdale Primary Care Trust and continues to be a proactive community ambassador, supporting several local community enterprises involved in healthcare and mental wellbeing.
Ghulam Rasul Shahzad was also made a freeman of the borough. A recipient of an OBE from the late Queen Elizabeth II for his services to the community, the retired magistrate is a member of several local voluntary groups.
Saeed Dar was made a freeman of the borough in recognition of his significant contribution to education and the community.
Javed Akhtar and Ali Asghar were also made freemen of the borough in recognition of their significant and continued contribution to the community, and their voluntary activities.
Former councillors Tom Bailey, Mohammed Sharif and former mayors Keith Swift and Ian Duckworth were made honorary aldermen.