Northern Roots

02/04/2026

Grow with us at Northern Roots🌱

We are seeking an experienced Community Gardener to help manage our 1.2 acre Brook Mill Gardens, lead volunteer sessions and help develop therapeutic growing spaces for our Natural Health Service, including forest gardens and meditation spaces.

Northern Roots is transforming 160 acres of urban green space in Oldham, with a brand new Welcome Building, Forestry Skills Centre and expanded Urban Farm coming soon. Now is an exciting time to join us!

👉£26,000 pro rata, 22.5 hours per week across 4 days
🕒May 2026 to March 2027

Visit our website to read the Job Description and Person Specific, and to learn how to apply - https://northern-roots.uk/opportunities/jobs-volunteering/

Application deadline 12 midnight on Tuesday 14th April 2026.

Have a question? Email info@northern-roots.uk

I love Oldham Get Oldham Working

01/04/2026

Free 10 week Into the Wild programme launching this Spring🌱

Following a successful first project, we’re offering up to 20 fully funded places on our next Into the Wild nature connection programme, delivered by our Natural Health Service.

This 10 week programme is designed for people living with or recovering from cancer, those with life limiting illness (such as mental health or chronic fatigue), or carers.

Based at Northern Roots in , our friendly team will lead guided nature walks, forest bathing, crafts, and foraging, helping you reconnect with nature and improve overall wellbeing and health.

Visit our website to see full criteria, to see key programme dates, and to learn how to apply👉 https://northern-roots.uk/opportunities/natural-health-service/into-the-wild/

Into The Wild is part of the EU-wide GreenME Project and is a national first.

I love Oldham NHS Oldham NHS Greater Manchester Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust Anmol Cancer Support Group National Academy for Social Prescribing Oldham Active Mental Health Football MHW Oldham Spark

30/03/2026

We’re looking for a passionate Community Gardener to help nurture our 1.2-acre Brook Mill Gardens, lead volunteer sessions, and develop therapeutic spaces for our Natural Health Service, including forest gardens and meditation areas.

Northern Roots is transforming 160 acres of urban green space in Oldham, with a brand new Welcome Building, Forestry Skills Centre and expanded Urban Farm coming soon. Learn more about our plans here🌱 https://northern-roots.uk/about-us/plans/

👉£26,000 pro rata, 22.5 hours per week across 4 days
🕒May 2026 to March 2027

Visit our website to read the Job Description and Person Specific, and to learn how to apply – https://northern-roots.uk/opportunities/jobs-volunteering/

Application deadline 12 midnight on Tuesday 14th April 2026.

I love Oldham Get Oldham Working

30/03/2026

We’re delighted to share that Northern Roots has received a new award of £95,000 from Garfield Weston Foundation

Northern Roots is creating what will be the UK’s largest urban farm and eco-park on 160-acres of underused urban greenspace in the heart of , Greater Manchester.

The project is being brought to life as a catalyst for economic and environmental regeneration, creativity, entrepreneurship, health and wellbeing, and communal pride 🤝

The Northern Roots charity is building an innovative new model for harnessing green space, a model that is being developed for and with local communities to deliver sustainable benefits for people, planet and place.

In autumn 2026 Northern Roots will open the doors to a beautiful new Welcome Building, a brand-new Forestry Skills Centre, four more acres of Urban Farm, an outdoor amphitheatre, and inspiring play facilities - a milestone moment in a long-term, evolving project 🌱

Over the coming years, as funding permits, we plan to enhance four sports pitches, create new cycle and equestrian routes, further learning and performance spaces, and a swimming pond.

We are grateful to Garfield Weston Foundation for their continued support.

Visit our website to learn more about our plans 👉 https://northern-roots.uk/about-us/plans/

27/03/2026

Grow with us at Northern Roots🌱

We are seeking an experienced Community Gardener to help manage our 1.2 acre Brook Mill Gardens, lead volunteer sessions and help develop therapeutic growing spaces for our Natural Health Service, including forest gardens and meditation spaces.

Northern Roots is transforming 160 acres of urban green space in Oldham, with a brand new Welcome Building, Forestry Skills Centre and expanded Urban Farm coming soon. Now is an exciting time to join us!

👉£26,000 pro rata, 22.5 hours per week across 4 days
🕒May 2026 to March 2027

Visit our website to read the Job Description and Person Specification, and to learn how to apply - https://northern-roots.uk/opportunities/jobs-volunteering/

Application deadline 12 midnight on Tuesday 14th April 2026.

Have a question? Email info@northern-roots.uk

I love Oldham Get Oldham Working

26/03/2026

What do you do to support your health and wellbeing?

This , we are celebrating the everyday ways we support our health and wellbeing.

At Northern Roots, wellbeing and nature is at the heart of everything we do. We create free events, programmes and community spaces that allow people to reconnect with nature and each other 🌱

From walking and cycling to nature journaling and skimming rocks, hear how our staff and volunteers support their own wellbeing in simple ways ✍ 🚲

We would love to hear what helps you support your wellbeing in the comments.

Find out more about our Natural Health Service - https://northern-roots.uk/opportunities/natural-health-service/

I love Oldham NHS Oldham Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust National Academy for Social Prescribing

26/03/2026

‘I’ve never done that before – just focusing on one thing in nature – I felt my mind emptying and got lost in my own world. 20 minutes flew by. I feel so much more relaxed and at peace.’ Natural Health Service participant

To celebrate , we’re shining a light on the transformative work of our Natural Health Service.

Launched in 2023, we have provided and eco-therapy to a range of individuals experiencing complex issues, including anxiety, depression, social isolation, diabetes, addiction, cancer and chronic pain.

Through nature connection, growing, creativity and community building, we’ve helped improve participants’ health and , working in partnership with neighbouring GPs, Turning Point Rochdale & Oldham, and Get Oldham Working.

Swipe to see our Cancer Recovery Group, made possible by a unique partnership with Oldham Integrated Care Board, part of the GreenMe Project and a national first 🌱

Find out more about our Natural Health Service👉 https://northern-roots.uk/opportunities/natural-health-service/

Check out our YouTube video to hear from Natural Health Service Lead Steph Wild👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-66ITWbilmQ

I love Oldham National Academy for Social Prescribing NHS Oldham Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust

20/03/2026

Spring is officially here!🌷

Across the 160-acre Northern Roots site the trees are budding, birds are singing, and wildlife is beginning to be more active after a long, wet winter.

Northern Roots is a unique and very beautiful urban green space. A short walk from the centre of Oldham, surrounded by diverse local communities, the site looks out onto the foothills of the Peak District, and is bordered by the River Medlock at its southern end.

Historically, the site has housed two coal mines, two cotton mills, an industrial railway, a large, combined sewage outlet tank, and the council rubbish tip. Around a third of the site is former landfill.

Now, the site is home to a wide variety of bats, insects, aquatic life, native and migratory birds, and mammals – like this beautiful fox we caught on one of our wildlife cameras this week.

Over the last five years, as part of our commitment to conservation and biodiversity, we have planted trees and hedgerows, managed woodland, built new ponds and restored existing ponds, and put up bird and bat boxes across the site.

We have also trained and paid local people like Tom, to become Rangers, enabling them to develop conservation skills and work with us to gather data that will inform how we manage the site for years to come - https://northern-roots.uk/our-nr/stories/tom-pollitt-citizen-ranger/

Visit our website to learn how we’ve preserving and enhancing the site for both wildlife and local people - https://northern-roots.uk/visit-us/the-site/regenerative-land-practices/

20/03/2026

It's Friday and that means Friday night football with Mental Health Football ⚽️ 🙌 ⚽️

It's MHF Friday! 💚⚽

Fancy a game of football tonight with no pressure or expectations? Play, or watch and have a chat with a great group of friendly, welcoming people.

7pm - 8pm on the outdoor 3G at The Hathershaw College. Newcomers welcome.

20/03/2026

Eid Mubarak to all who celebrate! Wishing you a happy day from all of us at Northern Roots 😊