THE Oldham heroine who "stepped up to change the world" is to become permanently engraved in the hearts and minds of the borough with the grand unveiling of a statue in her honour tomorrow (Friday).

A hundred years since women were first allowed to vote in a general election, a bronze tribute to Annie Kenney created by sculptor Denise Dutton - which is said to have "captured her spirit beautifully" - will be revealed for the first time outside The Old Town Hall.

Once dubbed 'England's forgotten suffragette', Annie, who was born in Springhead, was imprisoned 13 times and took part in hunger strikes as a leading force in the movement which fought for women's right to vote.

In 1905, she and Christabel Pankhurst – one of the daughters of suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst – interrupted a Manchester rally to ask Winston Churchill, then MP for Oldham, and his Liberal Party colleague Sir Edward Grey if they believed women should have the right to vote.

They were thrown out and jailed, with Christabel Pankhurst accused of spitting at a policeman.

Annie rose through the ranks of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU), eventually becoming its deputy in 1912, a rare position for a working class person to attain.

But unlike her more famous sisters-in-arms, Emmeline Pankhurst and her daughter Christabel, Annie’s legacy and contributions had been largely forgotten for many decades.

After two years of community hard work and fundraising, led by Oldham West and Royton MP Jim McMahon, who is Chair of the Annie Kenney Memorial Fund, she now rightly takes a plinth of honour in the town, commemorating her incredible role in extending the rights of women in Britain.

The poignant centenary anniversary will also see the unveiling of a statue of Emmeline Pankhurst in St Peter’s Square, Manchester.

Actor Maxine Peake, who has been a keen supporter of the campaign, will also be attending the Annie Kenney ceremony, along with Springhead-born Amy Gavin who played Annie in the BBC’s How Women Won the Vote and artist Stan Chow who designed limited edition prints to help raise funds to pay for the statue.

The unveiling is being organised in partnership with the Oldham Theatre Workshop in conjunction with Oldham’s Town Centre Management team.

A march has been organised to Parliament Square which will be headed by a brass band and will be represented by everyone from Oldham including trade unions, local businesses, local schools, community organisations and local residents.

The public are invited to gather at Gallery Oldham from 12.30 to 1pm where there will be a performance before a procession to the Old Town Hall for the unveiling at 2.15pm.

Jim McMahon, local MP and Chair of the Annie Kenney Memorial Fund, said: "We look forward to people attending this momentous event.

"Annie’s unveiling marks the apex of two years of hard work, dedication and positivity from local residents and organisers.

"It goes to show what we can achieve for Oldham when we work together, which is why we want as many local residents as possible to head down to the Old Town Hall on the day.

“The unveiling will be a big day in itself. But the most inspiring thing for me is the thought of Annie’s presence once again in the town centre, telling her story and inspiring future generations.”