In-Touch Spring Staff Newsletter 2022

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in TOUCH oldham ACTIVE newsletter

date: SPRING

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What’s inside...

Ben’s story...5 Stuart’s section...2 Staff awards...4 Development...3 Chadderton open day...4 New starter...6 Recipe...6 Finance...3 Congratualtions...5

WELCOME TO OUR STAFF NEWSLETTER Stuart Lockwood

Chief Executive

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elcome to the latest edition.

Highlights of what has been occupying our focus in the recent and coming weeks include the new branding and uniform orders, the launching of a much extended school swimming service, and the recruitment of new Board members.

On the first of these, the commitment to change the company name from Oldham Community Leisure to Oldham Active has been agreed at Board level and we are evaluating the potential company structure to be a Registered Charity (rather than a Community Benefit Society). We are 20 years old this year and with a change in Chair and strategy review, now if the perfect time to refocus and refresh how we deliver the service. The new uniforms will arrive towards the end of May and we will be inviting you all along to a roadshow to talk through the new changes as well as issuing new kit to all employees.

delivering school swimming to a limited number of schools but by merging our marketing focus to boost our overall market share of coaching in schools, it made sense to include the promotion of our successful school swim offer alongside the dryside coaching proposition from Steve Ferriss’s team. The demand from the outset has exceeded our expectations which is testimony to the quality and value of what we are offering schools, but no doubt the transition will need careful management as we align our respective timetables with the Council swim teachers’ offer.

Finally, we are in the middle of appointing up to 5 more new Board members after some amazing numbers of high quality applications. We shortlisted candidates based on what specific skillset and experience they can bring to further enhance the Boards skillset and announcements will follow once the process is complete. For those of you who are shareholders, you will get the chance to meet them in person at the next AGM after the summer, but before that I will hopefully The second topic I mentioned at the start be providing them with tours of of this article was the growth in school the sites to show off our fantastic swimming which starts immediately after Easter and again from September as schools facilities and introduce them to our colleagues on shift as we go. Until sign up to our delivery option. The reason behind this largely stems from our adoption the next newsletter, bye for now, of the Sports Development service from the and I hope to see many of you at Council; we were already the forthcoming Staff Awards night.

FINANCE Steven Holden - Head of Finance and Performance Income to year end remained positive, particularly around swim lessons and also memberships.

Expenditure continued to be controlled with staffing costs being underspent but the main issue continued to be around costs of utilities where the costs of gas remain high and in future will need to be mitigated through the Council contributions to the added costs in future.

With the Council’s additional contributions during 2021/22 along with other income received OCL will be at or around break even to year end.

The Board has accepted this provisional position at year end along with budgets for 2022/23 which equally are at break even levels based on increasing customer income levels and also recovery of the majority of the additional utility costs through “Utility Benchmarking” with the Council.

DEVELOPMENT Simon Mcdonald - Building Service Manager The following are the projects and works that have taken place over the past 3 months within reference to Maintenance and Engineering: • The flooring at Chadderton gym has been upgraded closely followed by the replacement of a majority of the gym equipment. This also included the installation of additional TV/Ariel sockets.

• A project has taken place at Oldham to replace a majority of the lighting with LED. This included the sports hall, gym, dance and spin studios and a majority of the corridors.

• The sound systems in both the dance and spin studios, at all sites, have now been replaced with modern bluetooth systems.

• Mark and Brent continue with the painting project at Failsworth focusing on the corridors from reception down to the dry side changing. This includes all walls, doors and paintwork. They have also started painting the CAZ and dance studios.

• Mick has been replacing a vast number of emergency lights across sites that have been picked up as faulty during the emergency light drain downs that happen overnight.

• The air conditioning system has been fully replaced that supplies Saddleworth dance studio.

• We have managed to secure funding from the council through the lifecycle budget to replace the boilers at Failsworth, pool cover at Failsworth, change site dosing systems from CO2 to acid along with a number of other remedial works. These will be taking place over the coming financial year.

STAFF PROFILE Liam Sutton

I was born and raised in Ashton-Under-Lyne.

Going to school and college there. After finishing at college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted A bit about me: to do so I worked with my mum at a solicitors I am 25, worked at OCL for over 6 years. I’m a Manchester as a junior. I quickly realised the office life wasn’t for me and took up an apprenticeship city fan and currently go to university studying prosthetics at OCL based at Chadderton Wellbeing Centre and orthotics. to be more hands on. I progressed to be a gym instructor and lifeguard and eventually a team Favourite food: leader at cwc for around a year and a half. When Mexican I sadly had to step down to being a casual due Dream job: to my hours at university. At OCL I have realised To be a prosthetist and work alot about myself gaining confidence in myself with Paralympians and my abilities. Nothing ever phases me, however minor or serious the issue is, I have 3 words to describe me: confidence in my ability to deal with whatever Empathetic, hardworking and committed situation comes my way!

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STAFF AWARDS! SAVE THE DATE! 21st May. At Smokey’s Park Hotel.

Chadderton Open Day 4

Active Oldham (Oldham Community Leisure) held an open day attended by special guest, the Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Jenny Harrison, as well as many local residents.

The day showcased the ‘new look’ gym at Chadderton Wellbeing Centre following its substantial refurbishment, including the installation of modern fitness equipment.

Oldham Active asked attendees to make a small donation to the Mayor’s local charities, raising money for: Maggie’s Oldham, AGE UK Oldham, Andy’s Man Club, Oldham Street Angels, POINT, UKEFF, Inspiring Futures Partnership CIC and Terence O’Grady Social Club.

The Mayor of Oldham, Councillor Jenny Harrison, joined in with the activity programme and participated in her first ever indoor cycle class, in the new cycle studio, which opened last year.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALICE Alice Maders is now Alice Holden! She recently got married not to long ago on the 4th of December 2021 to her now husband Jack Holden. Alice is our Duty Manager at the company and we would like to say a big congratulations to the happy couple.

BEN’S STORY

By Claire Tomlin I received a call today from a Leanne Butterfield regarding the treatment her husband Ben Butterfield received on Tuesday 25th Jan 22 at Saddleworth Pool and Leisure Centre.

Ben was riding his bike on the bridle path behind the centre, when he fell off and went down the embankment, where he sustained quite serious internal injuries. He managed to get to the centre where Beth Neild helped him, kept him calm and called for an ambulance.

Leanne has called today to thank the staff especially Beth for their help, in keeping not only Ben calm but herself too, she stated that Beth was amazing with them both. She explained that Ben is in a critical condition at Manchester Royal Infirmary, but is recovering.

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New Starters We’re delighted to welcome a number of new employees, and congratuate people in new roles.

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Georgia Handley – Digital Marketing Executive Alivia Ferguson – Memberships and CRM Officer Kyle Foster – Memberships and Customer Service Manager Julie Alston - Leisure Centre Manager Kathryn Featherstone - Gymnastics Claire Tomlin - Leisure Centre Manager Jamie Sexton - Leisure Team Member Nuno Duarte - Leisure Team Member Paige Burrows - Leisure Team Member Chelsea Neild - Temp Duty Manager Jo Parry - Group Ex Coordinator Alexis Ringg - Swim Scheme Admin Euan McCorquodale - Apprentice Tommy Burns - Apprentice Jack Kelly - PR and SM Champion

Daniel Goodwin - Leisure Team Member Brogan Garforth - Leisure Team Member Donna Gardner - Front of House Grace Simpson - Front of House Grace Ogden - Front of House Brandon Pearson - Leisure Team Member Derek Webster- Leisure Team Member Simon Miller - Front of House Jordan Foster- Leisure Attendant Jamie Roberts - Leisure Attendant Ben Johnson- Leisure Attendant Ellie Lomax- Swim Teacher Josh King- Leisure Attendant

CREAMY CARROT SPRING SOUP

STEP 1 Roasting the carrots condenses their flavor, which brings out the carrots’ best sweet-and-savory notes.

This step makes all the difference between a ho-hum carrot soup and a why-is-this-so-good carrot soup.

STEP 2 Meanwhile, we’ll sauté some chopped onion in oil until tender. Then, we’ll add some fresh garlic, plus ground coriander and cumin. The spices make the soup taste more interesting in a subtle way. (If you’re out of coriander or cumin, though, you can omit them.)

Cooking the spices in oil for about 30 seconds wakes them right up, while it mellows the garlic.

STEP 3 Then, we’ll add vegetable broth, water, and the roasted carrots when they are out of the oven. We’ll gently simmer them all together for 15 minutes to bring all the flavors together.

NO BUNNIES WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS RECIPE...

STEP 4 Stand blenders always yield ultra creamy results. Immersion blenders don’t come close!

That’s why I always recommend blending soup in a stand blender instead. I don’t like cleaning extra dishes, either, but the resulting texture is worth the effort. You can find my favorite blenders in my Amazon shop (affiliate link).

STEP 5 You won’t believe how much difference a tablespoon of butter makes at the end. Once blended into the rest, it makes the soup taste more luxurious without dulling the other flavors like cream does (did you know that soups could be this creamy, without cream?).

Adding some lemon juice brightens up the finished product and brings it all together.