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History

Oldham has had a Unitarian presence since before 1813. The first place of worship was the loft over shops in Henshaw Street known as the dovecote: later the chapel moved to Lord Street. Our present building, here since 1970 is typical of the time with a flat roof. It is situated next to a roundabout and on the slip road from the by-pass.

Oldham's One World Centre, the idea of the late Clarice Nuttall, is still a dominant feature of Chapel life. The One World Centre sells fairly traded goods and raises money for third world causes. The Thursday lunches are an important part of this fund raising the more so because the food is donated.

Through the One World Centre we host a social for asylum seekers on the last Saturday of every month. This is an important event for these people because it helps to provide social contact with others seeking asylum, and gives access to and information about agencies which may be able to help with various problems including legal advice.

Another aspect of our life through the One World Centre is our commitment to environmental projects. One of the groups that meets under the One World banner is The Friends of the Earth. They are joining us in producing a series of environmental weekends each devoted to one particular environmental issue. The One World Centre is a part of our Chapel life, not apart from it. Too many people see it as a separate entity but this is not so. It is important too in our inter-faith relations. Oldham is a cosmopolitan town. If people cannot identify with Unitarianism they can often identify with the concept of One World and through this come to understand more about Unitarianism without compromising their own culture and/or religion.