Hailing the heroes who helped raise our spirits
THIS week marked a year since everyone’s world shrank and life changed dramatically – we still don’t know how long for.
It was March 23, 2020, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the UK’S first lockdown because of Coronavirus.
As the country struggled to come to terms with rules, restrictions and a global pandemic, a renewed appreciation emerged for nurses, doctors and other NHS workers.
They were the heroes of this new fight – as were a range of frontline workers such as shopworkers, emergency services and teachers.
There were others too. If the pandemic had any silver lining it was that it brought out a community togetherness not everyone believed was still there.
Nowhere was this selflessness and spirit more apparent than Rochdale, where people devised new ways of helping others through the crisis, fundraising for important causes, staying connected and keeping morale up.
So here we take a look back at some of our town’s everyday heroes, those who made a difference to people’s lives right here in Rochdale.
Thank you to you all:
●● STAFF at Cardinal Langley Roman Catholic High School in Middleton assembled 650 visors to cover the wearer’s face, and said demand was so high they couldn’t make them fast enough. Vicky Doyle, head of the Design and Technology, said: “There is such a demand for these; we could just make these all day every day.”
●● A BRAVE group of men stripped off and posed up for a new calendar to raise money for the NHS. The fundraising scheme was the brainchild of David Woodhead, who says the initial idea started as a “bit of a joke”, but ended up raising more than £1,000 in three days. HGV driver David said most of the models are friends from the Bulls Head Golf Society and all from the Rochdale area. He said: “One of my mates brought it up. We’d had some bottles of wine and we thought ‘if we can get 12 people to do it we can make a calendar’.
●● A MUM-OF-FIVE helped other parents caring for children with additional needs to stay positive and keep youngsters engaged during lockdown with a new Facebook group. Sarah Haigherty, of Martindale Crescent, Langley, set up the group as an antidote to social media pressure on parents to provide elaborate activities for their children living with conditions like autism or sensory disorders.
●● TWO nurses at Fairfield General Hospital coordinated massive fundraising efforts to help coronavirus patients around the country to keep in touch with friends and family. Leona Harris and Elizabeth Sandham raised over £54,000 to buy ipads for their patients at the hospital who were unable to receive any visitors.
A SCHOOLGIRL raised hundreds of pounds for those in
●● need during lockdown by completing a marathon challenge. Bella Ashton, eight, decided to walk 90 laps of a field near her home, where she lives with her parents Martin, 33, and Lisa, 32, and siblings Jack, 11, and Lottie, 1, to raise money for Heywood Food Bank - a distance which is equivalent to 27 miles.
SPRINGHILL Hospice issued a message of thanks to its ‘army of volunteers’.
Under normal circumstances, the hospice receives help and support across its services from more than 400 volunteers. Lockdown meant that
●● many of the hospice’s regular volunteers have been unable to give their time to the hospice. However during Volunteer Week, hospice staff took time out to thank those who willingly and generously gave their time and expertise to support the hospice.
●● THREE inspiring winners were announced in Hopwood Hall College’s community-wide competition to uncover the ‘unexpected upsides’ of lockdown. The under-12s prize went to seven-year-old Zachary Grimshaw, who’s been learning to play the piano after a neighbour gifted it to his family in March. In the 12-18 Years category, budding poet Esther Boyede took the top spot after composing a powerful multi-verse poem called Optimism. Amy Perkin came first in the Aged 19+ category. The NHS key worker designed a rainbow-coloured mosaic featuring the handprints of her husband Mark and sons Jacob, six, and Noah, three.
LEADERS of First Rochdale (St Thomas) Scout Group, delivered bags of essentials to isolating and elderly people.
Kimberley Astwood
●●
Wainwright, whose day job is at the Medicines Evaluation Unit in Wythenshawe, said having to put her Scout group’s activities indefinitely was hard. But joining the Kirkholt community response with her fellow leaders, including wife Helen, was a rewarding experience.
●● IN Middleton, volunteers from Bowlee Community Association and Status 4 All delivered afternoon tea boxes to vulnerable people who were shielding. The boxes, which also contained information leaflets, are emblazoned with a smiley face and a ‘don’t
worry, be happy’ message’.
●● WIN Page – the inspirational centenarian, who sadly passed away recently, raised nearly £20,000 for North West Ambulance Service NHS Charity by walking 100 lengths of her driveway before her 100th birthday in April. Winnie, who sadly died earlier this year, was inspired by Captain Tom’s fundraising efforts. She said: “Captain Tom has been such an inspiration. “He’s actually two days younger than me, so I thought if he can do it so can I. The NHS has been so good to me all my life and I wanted to give something back. ●● AN artist auctioned off an original piece of artwork paying tribute to hero fundraiser Sir Captain Tom Moore to raise money for the NHS. Lisa Haselden, of Apple Way, Middleton, has had a lifelong passion for art and was inspired to create her painting by the heroic efforts of the 100-yearold Second World War veteran. Rochdale’s singing jeweller John Alexander won the painting with a bid of £620.
A KINDHEARTED shopkeeper received a British Empire Medal for his services to the community during the
●● pandemic. Damian Edwards, 42, has run and owned the General Store, on Mount Road, Alkrington, for 23 years, since he was 19. During the pandemic, Damian kept his shop open and also provided a phone delivery service, where he would deliver to elderly people and nursing homes, ranging up to 50 miles. As he ran the shop on his own he worked around the clock to make sure no-one went without, stocking shelves during the day and in the evening delivering to those who were vulnerable and selfisolating.
●●
A ROCHDALE
manufacturer found itself involved in the Uk-wide drive to produce 30,000 emergency ventilators to help the NHS deal with coronavirus. The equipment is critical in the care of some of the most seriously ill coronavirus patients but the spread of Covid-19 led to a national shortage. Rochdale-based Hanson Springs was drafted in to supply specialist springs to JRE Precision, which is one of the companies helping to meet the shortfall of ventilators.
VOLUNTEERS from a biking community group in Rochdale
●● delivered essential medical wear and PPE accessories to key workers across the North West. Rochdale’s Brass Knuckle Riders delivered goods produced by Scrubs Hub in Rochdale and Bury, and Wigan-based project Headbands for Heroes, as well as transferring supplies to volunteers.
●● POSTAL workers could be seen delivering cheer as well as the mail on their rounds last May as they donned their best fancy dress for a charity fun day. Around a quarter of the 200 staff at the Royal Mail Rochdale Delivery Office, on Ainsworth
Street, came to work as a creative range of characters, as well as holding a raffle and cake sale at the start of the day, to raise money for Rochdale Food Bank. These activities, combined with donations from residents all over the office’s delivery area, raised over £680, which was donated to the food bank as well as food items provided by staff.
●● A KEEN crocheter put smiles on faces in her neighbourhood with a range of crochet figures paying tribute to key workers. Carolyn Whittaker, 57, has been crocheting since the age of 13 and knitting since
nine, and filled her front window at her home in Maitland Street, Walsden with tributes to workers from a range of sectors who had been keeping the country going during lockdown.
●● A COUPLE printed T-shirts at home to raise money for a volunteer project sewing scrubs for NHS key workers. Jemma and Adam Dransfield, from Norden, used printing equipment they already had at their home to produce merchandise for the Rossendale Dance and Drama Centre, which they run together, to complete the T-shirts - and sold 175.