7 minute read
Tameside – Gold Award Ex-Service Employer
On the face of it, the nine towns of Tameside look like any other set of modernised towns, they have a main Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, and they have a modern police and fire service and are all very contemporary and ancient-looking town centres.
Tameside's housing has been brought forward and modern housing now replaces the houses of old industrial terracing. Their settings are in some of the prettiest you could imagine, with many of them nestling in the foothills of the Pennines, offering some stunning places to visit and live, some are deep in the Pennines and others alongside rivers and canals. Many of these have been rejuvenated as they were taken into re-use by local societies preserving their heritage and history; from Mailcoach stopovers, Narrowboats on the canals to the start of the horse drawn public bus and rail services.
Tameside Borough Council (TMBC) is committed to delivering services and working with the Armed Services Covenant, being one of the first Boroughs to sign it. It has already achieved the Employer Gold Award for Ex-Service in the borough and is responsible for leading the Greater Manchester (GM10) with innovative Projects like "Moving Forces". This is a project that was launched a few years ago to involve ex-service men and women in sport and activities, activated as "Staying Active After Service", and highlighted through football, sailing, yoga, rugby, fishing, archery, climbing & running. This has created an environment that enables professional agencies, national charities and community groups to deliver a wide range of support services and is enshrined in business as usual. The group set up to advise them, Tameside Armed Services Community (TASC), was trialled in Tameside first and is now being rolled out to the other nine boroughs of Greater Manchester, GM, Oldham & Rochdale and so on. For over 400 years the Towns of what is now Tameside have provided men for the Armed Services, from the Civil war in the 17th century which saw men and women go to fight for Manchester when it was besieged, through to the characterful men who returned from Waterloo, ordinary men doing extraordinary things and known to Wellington by name.
In the middle of the 19th century, a Garrison Barracks was built housing a regiment or Cavalry, and from then, it maintained a history of many Regiments of Foot until the 63rd and 96th of Foot became the Manchester Regiment and was based at the barracks for 86 years until 1958. The area is now the site of housing retaining the gateway and currently maintained by Tameside Council. The Manchesters and The West Riding (Duke of Wellington's) Regiment with the Cheshire Regiment formed and raised over 11,000 men to fight in The Great War 1914-18, the Second World War, Korea and the Malayan Emergencies. It maintained a link through The King's Regiment from 1958, and since 2006 with the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment with ceremonies such as their marching through the town with 'Flags Flying, Bayonets Fixed and Bands Playing' held in the town, The Armoury on Old Street still holds many events, and is currently used by the Cadets.
New Town Centre shots
Veterans at the Flag raising June 2019
Mottram in Logendale from Werneth Low, Hyde
Mossley in Tameside, great walks Photograph by John Ashworth Holding the Armed Forces Day in Denton's Victoria Park at the end of June each year where veterans are served lunch in the marquee is a highlight and brings veterans from all over the area. This includes many veteran support organisations that are housed in the area to offer support to our servicemen and women as well as reducing social isolation and loneliness.
The area and towns of Tameside have some outstanding panoramas within a short drive or walk. In fact, allthe towns have wide open spaces to visit, it makes for great walking at all levels.
Who would believe that such places are within 40 minutes of our major cities, within the motorway network, two hours forty from London by rail and between two of the north's major ports of Liverpool and Hull?
Today, with links from all the towns, public transport connections are maintained into the modern industrial areas of the Greater Manchester Conglomeration, offering rural living within a 40-minute journey to the city of Manchester. This includes being part of the five billion pound Tram system which connects the towns of Tameside to the 2.2 million people living in the area, as well as a rail system connecting you to the West Coast, the North East, East and West Riding and Derbyshire. There is also a direct feed onto the motorway network running through the borough. The whole area has risen from its industrial heritage of mining, cotton and woollen mills in the 19th century and moved through the eras like a list of industrial who's who with many of those industries' innovations originating in our areas. The 200 mills in Tameside have now given way to some prime vistas highlighting their significant passing, a history that can be seen in Tameside's Industrial Museum.
But, for all the historic buildings and history, from the Mesolithic & Bronze Age and Tribal Brigantine occupation, through the Romans to the Knights and Roundheads then on to the Canals of Portland Basin, discovering Tameside through its history is a fascinating walk through English Heritage and its people, where even the street names give away its past.
From the High Sherrif of Lancashire (1486) to the High Sherrif of Manchester (1988), Tameside people have taken their responsibilities of office seriously, as do the councillors and Members of Parliament. They are developing and planning a modern future like the new bus, rail and tram system enveloping the public transport facilities in one Terminus so that an onward journey through the borough to Greater Manchester means a greater opportunity for work.
The Portland Canal Basin which is also home of Tameside's Industrial Museum High Sherriff of Manchester Col. Arthur Axford born in the West End of Ashton-u-Lyne. The War Memorial Stalybridge
Transitioning to working and civilian life can be hard, and both the Council and the people of Tameside understand and want to help. They believe that the support offered by the area warrants it being considered as a place to put down roots in one of the best spots in Greater Manchester.
Scratch the surface of any town or city in the North West and you will find a strong military presence in its families. During the Great War, the 16 Regiments of the North West raised over five hundred thousand men; that amounts to a lot of families! Tameside with its Garrison at Ashton Barracks raised many additional battalions, so scratch the surface of Tameside and you will find a strong element of service. Tameside continues to understand and support the men and women of all our services, those who offer themselves for the protection of ourselves and others. For this sacrifice, the people of Tameside are prepared to give help to those who need it.
The nine Victoria Crosses, over 40 Military Medals, Distinguished Conduct Medals and many other decorated personnel from our armed forces have originated from from Tameside. Whilst all towns and boroughs have such people we honour ours with 'The Museum of the Manchesters', holding the main museum of our local regiment in our Town Hall which is currently being renovated to display its history.
The Borough this year has declared that there will be no ex-service personnel sleeping rough and we are determined to keep this record. GPs are signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant so as to highlight each one of them within our community and ensure that someone with an understanding of veterans' needs is available, to perhaps discuss their needs whatever they may be. GPs understand that service men and women who leave the service do not want to be prioritised, just understood better and with significance.
TMBC website: https://www.tameside.gov.uk/ armedforcescovenant TMBC email: covenant@tameside.gov.uk TMBC telephone: 0161 342 4080 TASC website: https://tamesideasc.org.uk/ TASC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ TamesideArmedServicesCommunity/ TASC Twitter: https://twitter.com/TamesideAsc
