Community Cohesion Strategy launched in Rochdale

Reporter: David Butterworth
Date online: 07/07/2008

Rochdale's Community Cohesion Strategy was launched this afternoon (Monday 7 July) at the Rochdale Centre of Diversity.

Political party leaders, council officials, community group leaders and emergency service representatives all signed a pledge to improve integration in Rochdale.

During the speeches, councillor Colin Lambert stated that “we are born equal, we die equal”, councillor Ann Metcalfe insisted “please embrace the whole of Rochdale, not just the deprived areas” and Norman Warwick said “there’s history here we should be proud of” and “just from speaking to other people we can learn why some people love steeples, and why some love domes”.

Councillor Mohammad Sharif opened the proceedings and a short DVD was shown, and then there was the Affirmation of pledges from representative groups, which included: 

Andy Zuntz – Executive director of MBC 
Gareth Swarbrick – Chief executive of RBH 
Mohammad Naeem – on behalf of RofFTRA, RCD and CVS
Sheila Will – Director of Public Health
Superintendent Martin Greenhalgh – Police
Mick Barke – Fire Service borough commander
Councillor Colin Lambert – Labour
Councillor Ann Metcalfe – Conservatives
Councillor Alan Taylor – Liberal Democrats
Usman Nawaz – Chair of Rochdale youth Council
Barbara Harrison – Multifaith Partnership
Patrick Culrin – Area Manager for Probation Service.

The short speeches were followed by a special poetry performance by Norman Warwick of Just Poets, which involved a small exercise using ‘Imagination’

At the end of the conference was a vote of thanks by Mohammad Naeem, and the afternoon ended with a buffet lunch and performances from years 1, 2 and 4 children from Broadfield Primary School.