Retired Oldham teacher Mags Poulton wins FCHO Hidden Hero award

Key Points

• Mags Poulton, 61, a retired primary school teacher who comes from Oldham, has been chosen as First Choice Homes Oldham’s (FCHO) Hidden Hero of the month for August 2026.
• She acts as a volunteer lead at the FCHO Tensing Street Community Centre where she helps organise daily work, activities, and events.
• Approximately 80 people visit the community centre monthly through projects such as coffee mornings, fairs, and police surgeries.
• Each December, Poulton helps organize the very popular Christmas Day party of the centre and has been volunteering in this position for about five years now.
• Ghazalla Iqbal, FCHO project and partnership officer, presented the award along with a £50 shopping voucher to Poulton and called her “the heart of the centre”.
• Poulton was delighted at receiving the award but pointed out that the centre is all about “the people” and that her job at the centre is to pull everyone together like a “family’s grandma”.

Oldham (Manchester Mirror) August 29, 2026 – A retired primary school teacher from uk/local/oldham/">Oldham has been honoured as First Choice Homes Oldham’s (FCHO) Hidden Hero for August, recognising her sustained volunteer leadership at a local community hub. Mags Poulton, 61, was presented with the award by Ghazalla Iqbal, FCHO’s project and partnerships officer, who described her as “the heart of the centre and a tireless champion for the community”. The award includes a £50 shopping voucher and acknowledges Poulton’s work coordinating day-to-day running, activities and events at FCHO’s Tensing Street Community Centre.

Who is Mags Poulton and what role does she play at Tensing Street Community Centre?

Mags Poulton is a 61-year-old retired primary school teacher from Oldham who has spent around five years as the volunteer lead at FCHO’s Tensing Street Community Centre. In that capacity, she helps coordinate the centre’s daily operations and oversees a programme of activities and events designed to make the space accessible and welcoming to local residents. As reported by The Oldham Times, Poulton said: “When I heard I’d been named a hidden hero, my first reaction was, ‘oh no, it’s not about me.’” She added: “I’m just the one at the head of the pack who pulls it all together – a bit like the grandma of the family.”

According to coverage by Not Really Here Media, Poulton took on the volunteer lead role after a career in primary school teaching and has focused on making the centre more accessible to a wider cross-section of the community. Today, around 80 different people use the centre each month, reflecting sustained engagement driven by regular programming and outreach.

How has the Tensing Street Community Centre grown under Poulton’s volunteer leadership?

Under Poulton’s volunteer leadership, the Tensing Street Community Centre has developed a steady calendar of events intended to draw residents through the door and give them reasons to return. As reported by The Oldham Times, Poulton said:

“For me, it’s always been about getting people through the door however we can, whether that’s a fair, a coffee morning or a police surgery so they know the centre is here.” She continued: “Once they’ve come in once, we try to give them a reason to come back.”

Not Really Here Media noted that Poulton manages activities that respond to local needs, ranging from working alongside police to help tackle crime to creating opportunities for adults with learning difficulties to develop new skills. The centre’s monthly usage of around 80 different people indicates a consistent level of footfall that organisers attribute to varied, community-focused programming.

What did FCHO officials say when presenting the Hidden Hero award to Poulton?

Ghazalla Iqbal, project and partnerships officer at FCHO, presented Poulton with the Hidden Hero award and the accompanying £50 shopping voucher. As reported by The Oldham Times, Ms Iqbal said: “Mags is the heart of the centre and a tireless champion for the community.” She added: “Your hard work and passion for helping others has made a lasting difference to the centre and the wider community.”

In expanded remarks cited by Not Really Here Media, Ms Iqbal said Poulton “consistently goes above and beyond to ensure the centre is welcoming, inclusive, and running smoothly for everyone”. She also highlighted Poulton’s role in managing activities that respond to local needs, including collaborations with police and skills-building opportunities for adults with learning difficulties. Ms Iqbal concluded: “Thank you, Mags, for your unwavering commitment, kindness and dedication.”

Why does Poulton say the Hidden Hero recognition is really about the community?

Despite receiving the award, Poulton emphasised that the recognition belongs to the wider community that uses and supports the centre. As reported by The Oldham Times, she said: “It does make me proud, and I’m glad the centre has been recognised, but really the centre is all about the people.” Her comments reflect a view of her role as facilitative rather than central, focused on enabling others to participate and benefit.

Poulton also highlighted the importance of recurring events in sustaining engagement, including the centre’s popular Christmas Day party that she organises each December. By maintaining a mix of one-off and regular activities, the centre aims to create multiple entry points for residents who might otherwise not engage with local services.

What activities and events does the Tensing Street Community Centre run each month?

The Tensing Street Community Centre runs a varied programme intended to attract different groups within the local population. Activities include coffee mornings, fairs and police surgeries, which serve both social and practical purposes for residents. The centre also hosts a Christmas Day party each December, organised by Poulton, which has become a popular annual event.

Not Really Here Media reported that the centre’s activities are designed to respond to local needs, including initiatives that support adults with learning difficulties to develop new skills. Collaborations with police are also part of the programme, aimed at improving safety and fostering trust between residents and local authorities.

Background: How did FCHO’s Hidden Hero award programme develop in Oldham?

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) runs a monthly Hidden Hero award to recognise volunteers who contribute to community facilities and services in the borough. The award typically includes a certificate and a £50 shopping voucher, presented by an FCHO officer to the recipient. Previous recipients include volunteers at local affordable food organisations and community hubs, indicating a pattern of recognising grassroots contributions across Oldham.

FCHO’s community work in Oldham extends beyond the Hidden Hero scheme, with recent initiatives including support for MP Debbie Abrahams’ Working for Your Community Summer School and the expansion of its apprenticeship programme. The housing association has also partnered with organisations such as Ridge LLP to fund youth design projects, reflecting a broader strategy of investing in local skills and community spaces.

Prediction: How might this development affect Oldham residents and local volunteers?

The recognition of Mags Poulton as FCHO’s Hidden Hero is likely to reinforce the visibility of volunteer-led community centres in Oldham and encourage further resident participation. Public acknowledgement of sustained volunteer leadership can motivate other residents to consider similar roles, particularly among retirees with professional backgrounds in education and public service. For local residents, the effect may be an expansion or stabilisation of community programming, as centres seek to replicate the engagement levels reported at Tensing Street.

For volunteers, the award signals that long-term, behind-the-scenes work is valued by housing associations and local institutions, which could improve retention and recruitment. For FCHO and similar organisations, highlighting individual volunteers may strengthen partnerships with community groups and support future funding applications by demonstrating measurable community impact. Over time, this could lead to more structured volunteer pathways and clearer progression routes for residents wishing to contribute to local services.