As the country continues to battle the current cost of living crisis, Oldham Athletic Community Trust would like to provide an update on the current support and opportunities available.
Free physical activity sessions
Working with a range of key partners a variety of sessions are available to attend for free, providing opportunities to maintain your physical and mental wellbeing.
Adults
Military Veterans Football (supported by Active Through Football)
This session is open to ex-service personnel and provides a free weekly football session.
Venue: Vestacare Stadium, 22 White Bank Rd, Oldham OL8 3JH.
Day: Monday
Time: 8-9pm
Contact: Military.Veterans@OACT.org.uk
Recreational Men's Football
This session is open to anyone aged 18+ and provides a free weekly football session.
Venue: Broadfield Primary School 3G, Goddard St, Oldham OL8 1LH.
Day: Thursday
Time: 8-9.30pm
Contact: Enquiries@OACT.org.uk
Recreational Women's Football (supported by Active Through Football)
This session is open to women aged 18+ and provides a free weekly football session.
Venue: The Honeywell Centre, 2 Hadfield St, Hathershaw, Oldham OL8 3BP.
Day: Tuesday
Time:7-8pm
Contact: Emily.Ashworth@OACT.org.uk
Young People
Our PL Kicks project, supported by The Premier League Charitable Fund, provides free engagement opportunities to young people aged between 8 to 19 and is located at sites across the borough. PL Kicks provides a mix of sporting and non-sporting provision, all taking place during the evening to provide positive diversionary activity. These sessions provide young people with a safe and supervised place to socialise and take part in physical activity (session dependant) to help maintain their physical and mental wellbeing.
- The Honeywell Centre (in partnership with Oldham Council)
- Sholver Youth Centre (in partnership with Full Circle CIC)
- Yew Tree Youth Club (in partnership with Full Circle CIC)
- Failsworth (in partnership with Oldham Council & Positive Steps)
For further information on the PL Kicks project please email: Martin.Vose@OACT.org.uk.
Community Support
Working in partnership with a local B2B retail supplier, Applegreen Limited, we have been able to distribute hundreds of items such as blankets, hats, scarves & gloves to organisations working directly with communities in need during the winter.
More items are available, organisations can find out more information about this opportunities by emailing: Callum.Irving@OACT.org.uk.
Dedicated Matchdays
This season there has been two dedicated Oldham Athletic matchdays to directly support Oldham Foodbank, with Oldham Athletic supporters kindly donating thousands of food items to help those in the most need. In 2023 we will continue to support Oldham Foodbank, with events such as the matchdays.
More details are available here.
We also partnered with Deal Me Out CIC, as we welcomed them to Boundary Park as Oldham Athletic hosted Yeovil Town. Deal Me Out spoke to supporters across the stadium to educate them on gambling harm, touching upon the added impact gambling can have during the current economic climate.
There have also been three dedicated fixtures aimed at providing opportunities for those associated with grassroots clubs to attend selected fixtures enabling families to participate in an activity free of charge. Prior to Christmas, Oldham Athletic will support Oldham Council to provide opportunities for families to attend the Gateshead fixture free of charge.
Foodbank Partnership
Continuing with the generosity of Oldham Athletic supporters, lifelong Latics supporter John Connolly took on a mammoth 30-day fundraiser this Saturday, completing a run of 200 miles across 30 days. All money raised will be donated for the community of Oldham which will be split three ways.
- Christmas Presents for the less fortunate
- Oldham Foodbank
- Local Grassroots Football
In addition to the matchdays we have worked with our local school partners to raise awareness and collect food items. Supported by funding received from Action Together a series of primary school football tournaments have taken place (with further scheduled for 2023) whereby schools can enter free of charge but are asked to donate allocated food items. Once again these items are directly presented to Oldham Foodbank.
Through our secondary school youth engagement young people have engaged in social action activity to support our foodbank initiatives. Cohorts of students from Crompto House and Blue Coat Sixth form have supported both foodbank and toy appeals.
A huge thank you to all of our schools who attended our tournament this morning!
— Oldham Athletic Community Trust (OACT) (@OfficialOACT) November 10, 2022
The tournament helped our ongoing support to @OldhamFoodbank , through funding from @WeActTogether đź‘Ź #OACT | #OAFC pic.twitter.com/iXmksTpnqx
The gamechanger students who attend Crompton House Sixth form have completed an in school food bank donation, alongside a Toy appeal donation. With staff members from OACT going in and delivering work shops, on the cost of living and energy crisis. The changemakers who attend the Bluecoat School Sixth form have also completed an in school food bank donation. Whilst attending match days volunteering their time to help support OACT and OAFC staff with the wider food donation and toy appeal donations.
Toy Appeal
The Oldham Athletic toy appeal, in partnership with Oldham Athletic Football Club, the club shop & Sinco Creations, will take place from now up until the Torquay fixture on the 11th of December as we collectively try to collect toys for those young people and families most in need this Christmas.
The club shop will be the donation point for all toys donated, with donations welcomed at the club shop during their opening hours up until closure on the 11th of December.
Smart Meter Education
Through the EFL’s partnership with Smart Energy GB, the EFL Trust and Club Community Organisations throughout England and Wales want to help football fans understand their energy use through smart meters and in-home displays (IHD)
Today we visited @ATFOldham Luncheon Club to provide information about @SmartEnergyGB smart meters!
— Oldham Athletic Community Trust (OACT) (@OfficialOACT) October 18, 2022
More leaflets will be available @oldhamgreenhill for other activities taking place this week! #OACT | #OAFC | @EFLTrust | #SmartCommunities2022 https://t.co/7vvyyoWvpY pic.twitter.com/guBlwhbwDt
OACT have held workshops across the community to help residents understand how they can potentially save money on their energy bills whilst also providing multi-lingual leaflets.
Supported Giving
To help Oldham Athletic and Oldham Athletic Community Trust continue our support for those throughout the cost of living crisis, you can donate to our Supported Giving page to allow us to continue the work which has been mentioned above
To donate to OACT, click the link here.
You will also find the QR codes around the stadium to make a donation at any time during a matchday, thank you for your continued support!