Rochdale Borough Council

Rochdale Borough Council is committed to working with and supporting our Armed Forces Family. As cabinet member for the Armed Forces, I am proud of the work we do to support our Armed Forces community.

Pioneering projects like the Rochdale Veterans' Breakfast Club, Rochdale Hornets Wheelchair Rugby Team, Sail After Service and Angling for Veterans are just some of the many ongoing projects we support. We work closely with charitable organisations and community groups who support the Armed Forces community. These projects are all supported by our dedicated Armed Forces team.

For those currently serving in the Armed Forces and for those that have left or are about to leave, families often need advice on issues including health, education, housing, training and jobs. As a proactive, caring council, we are always on hand to provide support on these issues.

You can find out more about our support for the Armed Forces and how to contact the team at www. rochdale.gov.uk/armedforces. I hope this information about the Armed Forces' community, as well as wider council regeneration projects and pioneering plans, is both interesting and informative. Lest we forget.

Councillor Janet Emsley Rochdale Borough Council - Cabinet Member for the Armed Forces

Our rich history

The borough of Rochdale has a rich history and heritage and is the birthplace of the Co-operative movement.

Over recent years, the borough has benefitted from pioneering regeneration projects, new investment and major schemes, helping to transform the look and feel of our communities.

Hundreds of thousands of people visit our borough each year to take in its stunning scenery, rich history and heritage. Our packed programme of annual events includes the Feel Good Festival, the Literature and Ideas Festival, the Food and Drink Festival, the Williams BMW Rochdale Half Marathon and much more.

Further information about the council, our fantastic events, services and much more can be found at www.rochdale.gov.uk.

Growing all the time

The council is working hard to make Rochdale town centre an even better place for shoppers, visitors and businesses. The exciting £250 million regeneration programme has already brought improvements such as a new transport interchange, the Number One Riverside building and the awardwinning Revealing the Roch project.

One of the next key projects will be the completion of the new Rochdale Riverside retail and leisure complex, which will contain major stores, restaurants and a six-screen cinema operated by Reel.

In Middleton, our Townscape Heritage Initiative has seen the restoration of a number of buildings created by the late Arts and Crafts architect Edgar Wood.

Full steam ahead

With a history stretching back to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the East Lancashire Railway is the steam-powered heart of the Irwell Valley. The line runs for 12 miles through scenic Lancastrian Landscapes, from beautiful rural panoramas and pretty villages, to bustling Victorian towns and cotton mill dotted horizons, with Heywood its most easterly calling point.

Hollingworth Lake Country Park and Visitor Centre

Hollingworth Lake is the perfect day out for all the family, with boating, a nature reserve, trails, events, guided walks, Visitor Centre, community arts, environmental exhibitions, play and picnic areas.

The Water Activity Centre on Lake Bank caters for groups and individuals wanting instruction in windsurfing, dinghy sailing and other water-based sports, and now arranges training for groups in mountain biking and climbing. The lake is also a base for a sailing club and a rowing club.

Dippy on Tour

Rochdale was one of only eight venues across the UK to host Dippy the Dinosaur, with this top tourist attraction drawing people to the borough from far and wide.

To celebrate Dippy's visit, the council created a garden that showcases some of the plants that were around when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Dippy on Tour was brought about by the Natural History Museum, in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation and supported by Dell EMC and Williams & Hill, working with partners UK wide to tour one of its most iconic exhibits.

Armed Forces guaranteed interview scheme

We are very proud of our scheme to guarantee an interview for ex-armed forces personnel applicants where they meet certain qualifying criteria.

The aim of this proposal is to deliver the council's commitment to further the Armed Forces Community Covenant to ensure that ex-armed forces personnel are not disadvantaged as a result of their service.

Making a splash with free leisure scheme

Link4Life is the council's leisure partner and offers armed forces personnel free use of its fantastic fitness facilities and swimming pools. Thanks to the success of the pilot scheme, Link4Life's board of trustees has decided to extend this offer to include Veterans in the community who are out of work. All regular and reservist serving personnel and unemployed Veterans (proof of receipt of unemployment benefit required) from the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy can take advantage of this wonderful offer.

WW1 Poppy Garden

A temporary Poppy Garden to commemorate the end of the Great War, the war to end all wars, was built in Rochdale town centre. Commemorating 100 years since the end of World War One, the poignant garden includes engraved poems, benches, soldier silhouettes, a picture frame and a fantastic floral display, including poppies and other symbolic plants. We are proud that the garden has now found a permanent home in Rochdale's Memorial Garden on The Esplanade.

For further information or support contact us: by visiting www.rochdale.gov.uk/armedforces or email: armedforces@rochdale.gov.uk