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Page 2 August 2026 AD SALES 01204 478812 No part of this publication may be used or reproduced without the express permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure that the articles and advertisements that are carried are authentic, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for claims made. © Investors in Publishing Ltd 2026. This newspaper is published monthly by Investors in Publishing, Publishing House, 3 Bridgebank Industrial Estate, Taylor Street, Horwich, Bolton BL6 7PD. Tel. 01204 478812 EDITOR: Ged Henderson ged@hendersonnewsandmedia.com ADVERTISING : JayneMeadowcroft 01204 478812 or 07703 045189 jayne@independentnewspapers.co.uk CLASSIFIEDS : Teresa Bond 01204 478812 teresa@independentnewspapers.co.uk CONTACT US CHILDREN and young people across Rochdale will ben- ef it from unlim- ited free bus travel this summer. As part of the gov- ernment’s Great British Summer Savings cam- paign, children aged five to 15 can travel for free in England, including on Bee Network bus ser- vices, throughout August. In addition to this, 16-year-olds in Greater Manchester were able to activate their Our Pass one month earlier from August 1, giving them an extra month of free bus and cheaper tram travel. Fran Wilkinson, Greater British Summer Savings scheme which will mean free bus travel on the Bee Network for everyone aged five to 15 in August. This will help make days out more affordable for families this summer. “To complement this national scheme, we are allowing Our Pass to be activated one month early which means no young person in Greater Man- chester will miss out. “The Bee Network is all about making it eas- ier and more affordable to get around Greater Man- chester and this national scheme will help us do just that.” customer and growth director at Transport for Greater Manchester, said: “We’re pleased to be taking part in the A MAN who killed a teenage boy on an e-bike after ramming him with his car has been jailed for sixteen years for his murder. Terrence King, 60, of Middleton, was found guilty of murder at Man- chester Crown Court. The court heard how at around 11.55am on July 22 last year, a car driven by King collided with an e-bike on Rowrah Crescent in Middleton. King had been chas- ing the e-bike, which had reportedly been stolen, and deliberately veered into it, throwing the teenage rider into the air. Emergency services immediately attended but despite their best efforts, Devon Sim- monds-Caines, 15, died at the scene. Following his death, Devon’s family released a tribute, calling him a ‘bubbly person’ who ‘only wanted the best for everyone around him’. King was arrested following the incident and later charged with murder. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter at a previous hearing but denied intending to kill Devon or cause him FIREFIGHTERS worked through the night to tackle a waste fire in Rochdale. The blaze broke out on a site at Spring Mill Walk in the Smallbridge area, sending plumes of black smoke that could be seen across the town. Grater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service sent six engines to tackle the blaze which broke out on the evening of Friday July 24. They remained at the scene throughout the night as they worked to extinguish the fire which involved a large amount of waste on the site. The crews then worked alongside the Environment Agency tomake the area safe. Greater Manchester Police supported the fire ser- vice during the operation and asked people who live and work locally to keep doors and windows closed and to avoid the area. JULIE Murphy has been appointed Roch- dale Council’s new chief executive and head of paid service. The appointment was made following approval by councillors at a meet- ing of the full council. Mrs Murphy has served as the council’s interim chief executive since December 2025 and brings more than 30 years of local government experience to the role. During her career at Rochdale, she has held a number of senior lead- ership positions, includ- ing director of corporate services and statutory section 151 officer. Julie Murphy said: “Having spent much of my career serving the borough, I am incredibly proud to take on this role. Rochdale has passionate communities, dedicated staff and ambitious plans for the future. “I would like to thank councillors for the confi- dence they have placed in me. I look forward to working with colleagues, elected members, part- ners and residents to build on our achieve- ments and ensure we continue to deliver the A GOVERNMENT minister has praised Rochdale borough’s aw a r d - w i n n i n g approach to speech, language and com- munication support which has seen wait- ing times for families significantly reduce. The recognition came during a visit by school standards minister Geor- gia Gould, who learned about the innovative new methods that have been introduced locally to help families, schools and early years settings to address children’s com- munication needs earlier. Children referred for speech and language therapy previously waited up to 44 weeks for a specialist appointment due to high levels of need in the borough. However, local evi- dence found that in many cases children could often be supported sooner if families and profession- als had access to practi- cal tools and guidance at home or in settings like the classroom. In response, Rochdale Council and its NHS partners have introduced a new system of early intervention, which ena- bles families and profes- sionals to access instant speech and language support at the touch of a button. This is thanks to AI technology, tai- lored speech and lan- guage advice through WhatsApp, a coaching platform called Help at Hand, and an online vir- tual noticeboard which offers practical tips, resources and activities. The changes have led to an 85 per cent reduc- tion in the demand for clinical appointments since April last year as waiting lists come down from more than 1,200 families to 170. The changes are also giving speech and language therapists more capac- ity to support schools and deliver new daily drop-in sessions known as ‘Talking Walk-ins’ at the borough’s Best Start Family Hubs. These sessions allow families to speak directly with trained speech and language therapists if they are unable to address their concerns from home – support that could have previously taken them up to a year to receive. The borough’s new approach was recognised as national best practice after it won the ‘Shared vision for SEND’ cate- gory at this year’s Coun- cil for Disabled Children Awards, with judges describing it as ‘a clear and memorable vision that has reshaped the life for children and families in Rochdale’. Georgia Gould said: “Every child with SEND deserves support that meets their needs from the earliest possible moment – without hav- ing to fight for it – and it’s brilliant to see Rochdale already driving changes to make that happen. “From September, the Experts at Hand offer will see every local area start to increase access to speech therapists, edu- cational psychologists, occupational therapists and specialist teachers working directly in main- stream schools. “Rochdale is going above and beyond to increase access to speech and language support for children, and I look for- ward to working along- side them to scale up their approach through Experts at Hand and deliver our once-in-a-gen- eration reforms.” New chief for council Appointment: Julie Murphy (Photo credit: Rochdale Council) best possible outcomes for the people and places of Rochdale borough.” Mrs Murphy has also served on a number of regional and national bodies, including as vice president of the Society of Municipal Treasurers. Firefighters battle waste blaze overnight Driver jailed for e-bike murder Guilty: Terrence King (Photo credit: GMP) Family tribute: Devon Simmonds-Caines (Photo credit: GMP) (Photo credit: tfgm) Speech support wins praise from minister Bus boost for youngsters serious injury. Speaking after the court hearing, Greater Manchester Police senior investi- gating officer Duncan Thorpe said: “Terrence King deliberately drove his car into Devon, caus- ing traumatic injuries that sadly resulted in his death, despite the The finish is in sight ● Cont frompage one Sue Smith, Rochdale Council’s cabinet mem- ber for communities and co-operation, said: “Appointing Schofield and Sons is another milestone as this amazing project moves into its final year and I am excited to see the improvements to the gallery spaces over the coming months. “I cannot wait to see the transformation continue over the coming months, turning the building into something truly wonder- ful and fit for the 21st century, creating more opportunities for every- one to enjoy culture and the history of our borough in a more modern pub- lic space.” The project is being funded by the Cultural Development Fund and Rochdale Council as part of an £8.5million invest- ment into arts and cul- ture across the borough. best efforts of attending emergency services. “Our thoughts remain with Devon’s family who have had to deal with the trauma following Devon’s passing. This has been an incredibly difficult year for Devon’s family and friends.”