SIX fantastic good causes are hoping charity begins at home as they join together for the Give Local Oldham campaign.

Action Oldham Fund, Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, Kingfisher Special School, Maggie’s Oldham, Mahdlo Youth Zone and Oldham Coliseum Theatre, are collaborating this festive season in a campaign to raise money that will help improve the lives of people across the borough.

The six charities will be fundraising with a series of bucket collections and raffles while also spreading the word in the community about the difference each organisation makes in Oldham

And, thanks to the generosity of Sir Norman Stoller, all money raised for Give Local Oldham will be doubled by The Stoller Charitable Trust and split equally between each charity.

As part of the campaign, The Oldham Times will be featuring stories from each of the six charities and detailing how they support Oldham and its communities.

Opened in 2012, Mahdlo, is a state-of-the-art Youth Zone available whenever schools are closed.

The charity provide positive activities and practical support for young people aged 8 – 19 (25 with disabilities) to come together, learn new skills and address any issues they may face.

Mahdlo’s vision is to be a beacon of excellence for youth-led provision in Oldham by delivering high quality, innovative activities and experiences; providing opportunities to raise aspirations and supporting young people to be the best they can be.

Their purpose is to provide a safe but exciting environment which inspires young people to challenge themselves to grow and develop in all aspects of their lives. They work with young people to help them improve their physical health, mental wellbeing, self-confidence and resilience.

Claire Crossfield, Development Manager of Mahdlo, said: “It’s fantastic that the people of Oldham continue to show their generosity to support the many good causes involved in Give Local Oldham, including Mahdlo and the young people who greatly benefit from attending.

"I would like to express our sincere thanks to The Stoller Charitable Trust for their unwavering support of this campaign.”

As part of their offer, the charity delivers a fun and exciting Get Outdoors offer, including survival skills, walking, canoeing and climbing, that has grown in popularity over the past three years.

In 2015 Jack Hadfield joined Mahdlo and was really keen to finish the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award that he started whilst a student at Blue Coat school.

Mahdlo’s Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator, Amanda, quickly took him under her wing and helped him through his qualifying expedition, and, just a few weeks later, proudly presented him with his certificate.

Jack made new friends, learnt new skills and had such a great time that he decided to stay on and complete his Silver Award.

After completing his Silver Award, Amanda spoke to Jack about the Gold Award and what was involved in undertaking this. Up for the challenge, he agreed and last month completed his Gold expedition in Whitby.

Jack said: “I’ve had an amazing time with Mahdlo, gained valuable life skills and the DofE Award will really help my boost CV and make job applications stand out.”

In the coming months Jack will be attending Buckingham Palace with other Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award participants to collect his award.

Amanda added “Jack is a very likeable young man who I feel will do well in the future.

"The DofE and all other outdoor adventures that we have at Mahdlo really challenge our members to try something new and come out of their comfort zone.

"The confidence they gain is truly remarkable and very rewarding for them and the team.”