A SADDLEWORTH community association that was facing closure is breathing a sigh of relief after being saved by a good-natured volunteer.
The Scouthead and Austerlands Community Group faced an uncertain future ahead of its meeting on Tuesday, June 2, where a new committee was to be brought in to oversee their activities for the next two years.
However, with volunteers for the new team just one short, the group was forced to accept the possibility of closing for good – particularly as there would be no-one to take over as treasurer.
Over the past 13 years, it has spent thousands on local events and services for both villages, funded largely by donations and local grants.
Litter picks, a new defibrillator, an annual Village Fete, and a new community motor show are among some of the group’s local contributions, usually based on Dawson’s Field in Scouthead.
Thanks to its hard work, the association was awarded the 2026 Spirit of Saddleworth Award from Saddleworth Parish Council.
However, discussions were being held of donating the group’s remaining funds to charity – until local resident Nicola Harvey volunteered to help keep it going.
“I’m currently on a committee at Lees Allotments,” she told the Saddleworth Independent afterwards.
“We’ve just moved to the area, so we back onto Dawson’s Field. We see it every day, and it’s such a great space – it would be a shame if anything happened to it and the community.
“There’s nothing for children to do now, there’s no space, but Dawson’s Field is well looked-after. We saw the other week, there was a family there – a family, all playing around. Probably a hundred people day use it, and we want it to become a community area.”
Joining Nicola is new committee member Jackie Ridding, herself also a fresh face in Austerlands.
She said: “We moved here four weeks ago, so I came to the AGM definitely to join the committee.
“We’ve now found out Nicola is our neighbour!
“We’re totally new to the area, but I think it was just the fact that they were saying if it didn’t get members, then it was going to discontinue. I joined the Scouthead Facebook group before we moved and saw it all. So I made up my mind.”
With a future now secured for the Scouthead and Austerlands Community Group, the relief was shared by departing committee members April Hall and Claire Phelan, who are now stepping down to focus on supporting the group more widely.
“When I moved up here, I had young children, and I used to take them to events on Dawson’s Field,” April said. “I do think it’s so important, and they need that space.
“It’s really good for the community, and there’s been some great ideas. We’re going to have a meeting, with the old committee and the new committee.
“I really have enjoyed my time on the committee, and I am relieved. I do like things like this and we’ll continue to help – even though I’m not a member of the committee anymore!”
Claire agreed: “It’s been brilliant getting to know members of the community, who kind of live on my road but who I might not have known before.
“We really pull together, and I feel like I’ve got some new friends and allies and just people around that can help now.
“For example, two years ago I wanted a bathroom, and I sent a text to the community group for anyone who could help. And it was all ‘Oh yeah, my son does bathrooms’, or another example, if I’ve locked myself out, ‘Oh, I can pass you the name of a locksmith’.
“People in this community group have come here for years, and it’s kind of their place to socialise and meet friends.
“For others it’s about improving what facilities we’ve got in our community. Engaging with your community and neighbours is really important, and I think it’s really underestimated.”
Looking ahead, the Scouthead and Austerlands Community Association is now preparing for its next big venture: its second-ever motor show, set to be held on Sunday, July 12 at Dawson’s Field.
Following the success of last year’s show – which saw hundreds of visitors and dozens of vintage vehicles – the event is expected to double in size and will now feature both steam engines and a bar-converted fire engine, nicknamed ‘Thirst and Rescue.’
The Scouthead and Austerlands Community Group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at The Three Crowns in Scouthead.
Current secretary Lesley Knotts is relieved it is set to continue, saying: “About a month ago, we were thinking ‘It’s not going to happen.’
“But it is now, and they’re all younger than us!
“It’s a linear village. There’s no centre that you work on, there’s no shop. People sort of go through on the bus or something.
“But at the end of the day, it’s all about people getting together and getting to know each other.”
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