GRANT ALLOWS AN EVENING OUT.
On Tuesday 9th December, thanks to a grant from the Oldham Volunteer’s Celebration Fund, we were able to celebrate the dedication of some of our hardworking volunteers and helpers from the recent Go! Artists Oldham Art Fair.
We are very grateful for the support of our volunteers and members at our events, especially when it is raising funds not only for us, but ultimately to the benefit of Gallery Oldham.
The Art Fair was an idea brought forward in the Spring last year by Anne Bardsley.
Once the Management Committee agreed to the suggestion and to hold the event, Anne took the lead with the organisation, starting with the “open call” to potential stallholders, compiling details of the people chosen to exhibit and the items they would be selling, updating and expanding our website and social media presence and arranging the layout of the room on the day.
Chairman Roger Hindle presented Anne with a bouquet of flowers as a token of appreciation for the many hours she spent to ensure the Art Fair was a success.
MEMBERS GET A LOOK AT THE JR CLYNES BUILDING.
Members of Friends of Gallery Oldham were treated to an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the newly renamed and reopened JR Clynes building on Thursday 11th December.
Principal Arts & Heritage Officer, Sean Baggaley, guided us through the brand-new gallery space and the impressive Council Chamber, where a few of our members took the opportunity to take a seat where Councillors make all the decisions. Someone even sneaked a seat in the Mayoral chair!
It was a fascinating glimpse into how the historic old library has been transformed.
We rounded off the visit with festive refreshments and a chance to thank the incredible volunteers who worked so hard for the Friends this year. Their dedication and energy have kept our projects thriving and our community connected.
What a brilliant way to end the year, celebrating heritage, creativity, and the people who make it all possible.
CHAIRMAN SPEAKS TO BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
Chairman Roger Hindle gave a presentation to the Billingtons Business Breakfast event on Thursday 15th January.
Roger told over 70 representatives from a number of Oldham companies and organisations all about our group, how we started, what we have done in our first two years and how we want to expand our profile throughout the Borough.
A number of representatives spoke to Roger after his presentation and overall, the response was very positive.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO VISIT CHETHAM’S LIBRARY?
We have made enquiries about having a guided tour of the Chetham’s Library in Manchester. The library is right next to Victoria Station, so very accessible by tram. The tour, for a minimum of 8 people, would cost £13 for adults and £11 for concessions. If you would be interested in this visit, please let us know by emailing fogoldham@aol.com. If there is enough interest we will make further arrangements.
Later in this newsletter there are further suggestions for more possible visits.
SECOND ART FAIR BOOKED FOR 17th OCTOBER 2026.
Following the success of the inaugural GO! Artists – Oldham Art Fair last November, another event has been booked for 17th October. Whilst planning is still in the very early stages, please put the date in your diary as we will soon be asking for interest in participating and helping on the day.
FRIENDS MEMBERS TO EXHIBIT IN GALLERY 4.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, two Friends members, Linda Edwards and Anne Bardsley, will soon be exhibiting their work at Gallery Oldham.
Gallery 4 features work by groups or individuals who live or work in Oldham, or whose subject matter relates in some way to the town.
Linda’s exhibition opens on March 21st and runs to May 30th, whilst Anne’s artwork will be on display from 5th September until 11th November.
If you would like to apply to exhibit in this space in the future, please email katie.madden@oldham.gov.uk for more details and the application criteria.
FRIENDS NOW A ‘GOOD CAUSE’ WITH OLDHAM COMMUNITY LOTTERY.
The Friends of Gallery Oldham are now registered as a ‘good cause’ with the Oldham Community Lottery. This lottery is a fun and rewarding way to support good causes and charitable initiatives. It’s a great way to support a cause we all care about – and who knows, you might even win!
Tickets are only £1 per week and if you chose us as the organisation you want to support, we can receive 60 pence of the ticket cost.
You can sign up and buy your tickets using the link below https://www.oldhamcommunitylottery.co.uk/support/the-friends-of-galleryoldham?utm_campaign=cause-page-social-share&utm_source=causepage&utm_medium=social&utm_content=Hyperlink
UPCOMING FRIENDS EVENTS
12th February 2026 – 6.30pm – With a solo exhibition coming up soon at Gallery Oldham, Friends member Linda Edwards will tell us what we can expect to see in Gallery Four from 21st March. Linda would also like to invite all members to the exhibition opening on the 21st .
9th April 2026 – 6.15pm (note the earlier start time) – “Smoke and Mirrors”. Local theatre company, Dare to Know, in conjunction with Oldham Coliseum Theatre, are holding a production of the play “Smoke and Mirrors” in the new gallery space in the JR Clynes Building. Join us for a pre-show talk by the author Jake Talbot, who will discuss the play and take part in an informal question & answer session. There will then be an opportunity to move into the gallery and watch the play at 7.15pm. Whilst there are no restrictions in coming to the talk, if you are interested in attending the performance afterwards, we have 20 tickets reserved on a “first come, first served” basis at the discounted price of £6 (normally £12). We need to advise the Coliseum by 20th March on numbers, so please reserve your seat by emailing fogoldham@aol.com before this date. This event will be STRICTLY Friends members only.
11th June 2026 – 6.30pm – Annual General Meeting. There will also be something else happening on the night – details to be confirmed
13th August 2026 – 6.30pm – Tour of new Archive. Archivist Jan Hicks will give us a tour of the new Archive building located on Ascroft Street at the corner with Parliament Square.
8th October 2026 – Details to be confirmed, but as this will be during the “Oldham Open”, it will hopefully be something in conjunction with that exhibition.
17th October 2026 – As mentioned earlier in the newsletter, following the success of our inaugural event last November, The Friends of Gallery Oldham will host our second “GO! Artists – Oldham Art Fair.” This exciting event will take place at the Gallery Oldham Education Suite and promises a fantastic day of art, creativity, and community. Come and get yourselves some early Christmas presents.
10th December 2026 – Details to be confirmed – but will have a Christmas theme.
FRIENDS CAN NOW GET 10% OFF AT GALLERY OLDHAM SHOP
Don’t forget that members of The Friends of Gallery Oldham are eligible for a 10% discount in the Gallery Oldham shop. Just show staff the email sent to you with your membership card.
This offer only applies to shop stock and cannot be used for purchases of art work from exhibitions, printing & photocopying and event tickets etc.
WHAT’S ON AT GALLERY OLDHAM
The new gallery space is now open in the JR Clynes Building, as is the bridge linking that area to Gallery Oldham.
“Oldham Stories” continues as a permanent exhibition in Gallery One.
In Gallery Two, “Women Portraits: Trades and Professions” by Charlotte Hodes focuses on the contribution of women in the Oldham & Manchester regions from the late 1800’s. This exhibition runs to 9th May.
“Connecting Threads 2” is in Gallery Three until 7th March and showcases the embroidery work of Lynn Setterington. This will be followed by “Once Upon a Time” which will run from 21st March until 5th September 2026. This will be a family focused event where everyone can enjoy brilliant books and special stories.
In Gallery Four, Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust celebrate “150 Years of Oldham Rugby League Football Club” until 7th March. Taking us from 21st March to 30th May will be “All around the World” by Linda Edwards. This exhibition will take us from Brazil’s warmth to the Arctic stillness and even the Norther Lights over Saddleworth.
Details of these and other upcoming events can be found in the Heritage, Libraries and Arts “What’s On” brochure. Printed copies are free and are available from the Gallery and all local libraries. A pdf version is also on the Gallery’s website.
https://hla.oldham.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Whats-On-HLA-2025- Autumn-Brochure.pdf
The next brochure for the period April to October will be available from late March.
SKILLS AUDIT.
As we continue to grow and evolve, we know that some of our members will have skills, experience and qualifications which we could tap into. Would you be willing to share with us your knowledge and expertise, especially if you think it could help at any of our events.
Please let us know; what you do, or did, as a profession, are you a First Aider, do you have a Food Hygiene certificate, are you DBS checked or have some other useful skills? Please email fogoldham@aol.com
RAISE MONEY FOR FOGO WHILST SHOPPING ONLINE
The Friends of Gallery Oldham have so far received over £70 from Easyfundraising.
Easyfundraising offers organisations the chance to raise FREE donations when you shop online. Over 8,000 brands will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself. Many popular companies are part of the scheme, including Boots, eBay, B&Q, Pets at Home, Tesco – far too many to mention here but check to see if people you buy from are on the list.
Up to now, Easyfundraising has been solely for online purchases, but it has recently been announced that shopping in person at participating retailers can also now raise free donations. You need to download the App to set this up. With in-store donations, your everyday shopping can make a difference. It is quick and easy to get involved.
- One quick setup, lots of feel-good moments
- Add your bank card(s) to your easyfundraising app to get free in-store donations. Once you’ve done it once, you’re covered for all shops at participating stores.
- Once you’ve added your card to your easyfundraising app, just tap and go. Your shopping can raise a donation.
- Retailers fund the donation, not you
These donations can really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we would really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE, really easy (if I can do it – anyone can) and only takes two minutes to register. Use the link on our website to join and raise money for us for free. Even if you are already signed up to easyfundraising, you can change your choice to us if you so wish.
If you need any more information or help with signing up, please contact our Treasurer, Tricia Golden.
GIVE US YOUR IDEAS FOR VISITS OR EVENTS.
We are always thinking about events we can hold or visits we can make. A number of ideas suggested include Clayton Hall, Portico Library, MOSI steam hall, Peoples History Museum, John Rylands Library, Bramall Hall and Rochdale Court Chambers.
If you would be interested in a visit to any of the above or if you have any suggestions of your own which may also be of interested to other members of the Friends group, as well as any ideas of what you would like to see or if you can offer a presentation to us, please let us know by emailing fogoldham@aol.com
HAVE YOU VISITED THE FRIENDS WEBSITE?
If you haven’t checked it out yet, the website address is https://gofriends.org.uk/
You can use the links on the website to sign up to Easyfundraising, make a donation either to our GoFundMe account or direct to our bank account and even join or renew your membership.
If you have any comments about the website, or suggestions of what can be amended or added, please let us know by emailing fogoldham@aol.com
FUNDING AND PUBLICITY ALWAYS WELCOME
Do you know of any local companies or organisations who may be able to either make a donation to us or allow us to apply for any charitable funding to help us with our aims and objectives, or do you know how we could spread the word of the Friends group by any other means, please get in touch by emailing us at fogoldham@aol.com.
HELP RECRUIT NEW FRIENDS
If you have any friends or family who would be interested in joining The Friends of Gallery Oldham, please let us know by emailing fogoldham@aol.com or ask them to join via the “Become a Friend” page on our website.
