Gorton Together.
Healthy Me Healthy Communities CiC is excited to announce Gorton Together, a two‑year National Lottery Heritage Fund project that will preserve and celebrate the rich social history of Gorton Central — formerly Gorton Community Centre and, before that, Johnstone’s Paint factory (est. 1890).
To make this project a success, we are recruiting volunteers who would like to be trained in oral‑history interviewing and in recording people’s stories.
What the project is about:
Gorton Central is more than a building — it represents over a century of community action, resilience, and working‑class heritage in East Manchester. Throughout the project, we will be collecting:
- Oral history interviews
- Photographs
- Documents
- Artefacts
These will form a publicly accessible archive, supporting wider efforts (including those of Manchester Archives) to protect working‑class voices and histories.
How volunteers can help….
We are looking for people who are interested in:
- Learning how to conduct high‑quality oral‑history interviews
- Recording local residents’ stories and memories
- Helping preserve Gorton’s past for future generations
No previous experience is required — full training will be provided.
This is a great opportunity for anyone who enjoys listening to people, has an interest in community heritage, or wants to build new skills.
Interested?
If you’d like to volunteer or want to learn more, please contact:
Amanda Aitken
amanda@HMHC.co.uk
