Explosion in Shaw
Oldham Distress Fund
Oldham Council set up the Oldham Distress Fund to support the residents affected by the explosion in Shaw on Tuesday June 26.
The Oldham Distress Fund is a registered charity (registered charity number 225145) which is independently audited and will discharge all money raised to those residents affected by this incident. Any administration costs will be borne by the Council and will not come out of the Distress Fund.
Oldham Council donated £100,000 to the official Distress Fund from its revenue resources to help alleviate the immediate distress and hardship experienced by the affected residents.
An award of £125,000 was made to Oldham Council from the Greater Manchester Disaster Relief Fund through Forever Manchester. All money donated to the Oldham Distress Fund will be used to directly benefit residents affected. A full list of donations made to date can be found at
£300,000 has been donated to the Distress Fund. £230,000 of this has been committed to affected residents, with payments totalling £207,000 made to date.
Applications to the Distress Fund, continue to be approved by Trustees and paid quickly to ensure repairs can be made. So far the fund has successfully helped 91 households to cope with the impact of the explosion and we have received a lot of positive feedback on how the situation was handled.
To apply to the Oldham Distress Fund call 0161 770 7770.
Site update
The site remains busy with a lot of activity –including repair works – still ongoing.
A lot of the affected homes were privately rented. Oldham Council assisted where necessary so that people affected were able to move into suitable alternative accommodation.
The properties at numbers 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 Buckley Street were demolished as they were either dangerous and unsafe, or beyond reasonable economic repair.
Some of owners of these homes have now settled with their insurers and moved to other areas. We wish them all well in their new homes.
Some owners remain in discussion with their insurance companies to resolve the futures of the properties at 15-21 Buckley Street.
Oldham Council has also visited homes in the affected area where progress on repairs appears slower than others and sought clarification on what the owners’ future intentions are with the properties.
Despite all the ongoing building activity Oldham Council is pleased that contractors have been making every possible effort to minimise the disruption for local residents.
Security remains on site to date. We are reviewing the need for this as more residents return but are also mindful of the need for people to feel safe and secure in their homes.
Advice and Support
Residents affected by the explosion in Shaw can access help in the following ways:
- for housing advice call 0161 770 5113 or email onepoint@fcho.co.uk
- for access to the site call 0161 770 2222 or email first.response2@oldham.gov.uk
- for any other enquiries call 0161 770 1680. or email carol.watterson@oldham.gov.uk
To apply to the Oldham Distress Fund call 0161 770 7770 or download the application form:
Fund Policies
The Distress Fund is a registered charity and will have to submit annual returns to the Charity Commission, which will also be published in full on their website for transparency. All financial transactions will be audited by the Council’s auditors.
The Trustees are also committed to the following:
- 100 per cent of the money given to the Distress Fund will be used to support the people affected in Shaw;
- The money will go directly to where it is needed;
- No money will be taken by the Council for administration costs;
- No money will be removed or transferred to other funds
- Cost of the clean-up and recovery won’t come from the Distress Fund.
Trustees
The Trustees of the Oldham Distress Fund are:
- Councillor Abdul Jabbar,
- Councillor Jean Stretton
- Councillor Howard Sykes
Substitute Members (below) will attend if any of these are unavailable
- Councillor Jenny Harrison,
- Councillor Mark Alcock,
- Councillor Steven Bashforth
- Councillor Rod Blyth
Insurance
It is important to note that individuals with insurance are allowed to apply to the Distress Fund.
However, if you do have insurance you need to take care to not make a claim that could invalidate your insurance. To clarify, you cannot claim from the insurer and the Distress Fund for the same items or costs.
However, the Distress Fund is there to assist you with any hardship not covered by your insurance but incurred as a result of the explosion. This includes, for example, the Distress Fund paying your insurance excess.
