Oldham Positive Action Network

Oldham Positive Action Network (OPAN) builds on the work of a Poverty Truth Commission that concluded in 2022 and turned into Oldham Poverty Action Network. We changed our name in 2024, partly to reflect the broader scope of Oldham LocalMotion. But mostly, as one of our Lived Experience Advisers put it, “Who wants to join something about poverty”.

Yellow, blue, orange, and pale blue cogs, Oldham Positive Action Network Logo

'Working together to engineer change through co-production’

Our purpose: 

OPAN brings together local residents, community sector workers, and public sector practitioners to address a vital question “How can we help more people in Oldham to take positive action on issues that matter to them?”

We believe local people should shape local change. Supported by long-term funding from LocalMotion. We explore collaborative, experimental ways to tackle the root causes of social, environmental, and economic injustice.

Strategic Aims: 

  • Tackling the root causes of poverty
  • Creating a local economy that works for all
  • Strengthen community pride and belonging
LocalMotion Logo

Our values – 4C’s:

What we do:

Lived Experience Advisers: Engineering Change 

At the heart of OPAN are the voices of people with lived experienced of poverty, systemic trauma or social injustice. This is a group of people passionate about using their experiences and skills to enable positive change in our communities and in seeing systems & services transformed. They also work to support other people to share their own stories– to feel heard, valued and empowered.  

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OPAN meetings 

We meet bi-monthly as a wider network and monthly as a working group. Each network meeting is themed around a systemic issue we are looking to address in line with our vision. We also run regular ‘engineering change’ workshops which spotlight on systemic issues built upon a lived experience viewpoint and looking to inform positive action.  

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Principles 

  • OPAN is a shared platform, coordinating our collective response to tackling systemic issues related to poverty, acknowledging that we can achieve more through collaboration and partnership.
  • To test ways of achieving long-term change that tackles social injustice and inequality, based on lived experiences of those experiencing hardship in Oldham.
  • Maximise on the Local Motion investment opportunity and help to inform a 7-year long-term vision and funding proposal for social change in Oldham.
  • Ensuring the voices of people with lived experience inform and influence the decision-making structures across the system.
  • Commit to working collectively with local people and local partners, ensuring all work undertaken by the network is co-designed and co-produced.
  • Lobbying to prompt change within Systems, Policy and Practice, in response to the experiences of those facing poverty and hardship.
  • To tell the story of OPAN and its impact by harnessing the power of stories to strengthen community pride.
  • To build capacity with our Network Members by developing new skills which can add social value in our communities.
  • To connect the work we undertake through the Oldham Positive Action Network to wider spheres of work for greater influence and collaboration.
  • To reduce financial barriers that will facilitate inclusive engagement, reflective of peoples time, skills and lived experience. 

To find out more about OPAN or LocalMotion, please contact:

John Atherton

John Atherton

  • Email John

    John is our Local Motion Manager and can tell you more about what we are doing and how you can get involved!