The brilliant Greater Manchester projects that have won grants to champion our working-class culture

Historic England has announced funding for 56 projects across the UK aimed at celebrating working-class culture – including five Manchester-based schemes.  

The organisation received 380 applications for the annual Everyday Heritage grant, which started in 2022. The 56 successful applications will receive in total £875,000, with grants for individual projects ranging from £6,000 to £25,000. The combined amount for the nine winning projects from the North West alone is £127,000. 

Each project will aim to highlight the untold stories of their communities, connecting people with their local history, people and places. Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: “There are so many hidden histories to uncover here in England. Every community has a story to tell and we want to hear them.

“This is the strength of our Everyday Heritage grant programme, which funds projects that are community-led and really engage with local people by empowering them to research and tell their own stories. I’m excited to learn more about these fascinating projects as they shine an important light on our working-class heritage.”

Grant winners from Greater Manchester

The Manchester-based charity Back on Track, which supports adults who have experienced homelessness and mental health issues, has been awarded £9,618 for their project, ‘Work and Play: The untold stories of urban parks in North Manchester.’ It will look at access to greenspaces in three disadvantaged areas of Manchester: Sandhills Park in Collyhurst, Queens Park in Harpurhey, and Philips Park in Eastlands. Of the 500 people the charity helps each year, nearly one in five come from one of these three areas. 

The project will start in summer 2024, with participants researching the history of these parks and producing creative writing pieces and images that will be put together in an online resource. The project will collaborate with libraries, friends groups and nature charities. 

Another North Manchester project that has been awarded funding through the Everyday Heritage Grant is the Moston, Harpurhey, Charlestown Shared Heritage Mural Project, coordinated by local diversity-led art charity SICK! Productions. They have received £24,820 to help tell the stories of the people of Moston Lane through mural art.

The Shared Heritage Mural Project aims to bring people from different backgrounds together within the community with three separate activities. Firstly, The Miners Community Arts, based at the former working men’s club near the Moston pit, will be creating a huge mural of the area’s history, inspired by punk, protest and rebellion. The organisation will also be continuing the Moston Lane Shutters project, exploring the heritage of Moston Lane’s shopkeepers, as well as the history of the Simpson Memorial Hall. Finally, the local friends group, rambling groups and the local community will collaborate on a project about the history of Boggart Hole Clough. 

Deeplish Community Centre in Rochdale also received £16,630, Rekindle School in Hulme £23,450 and Manchester not-for-profit folk club Scribblingtown £9,670. More details about those projects is set to be released in the coming weeks.

The full list of North West grant winners

• Back on Track Manchester, Work and Play: The untold stories of urban parks in North Manchester, £9,618
• Deeplish Community Centre, A Deep Dive into Deeplish, £16,630
• Making Space, Port Histories, £10,000
• Ragged Edge Productions, Maryport Works Audio Adventure, £9,990
• Rekindle School Ltd, Great Grandmas and Glorious Girls, £23,450
• Rule of Threes Arts, Queue up and dance - exploring Bootle's stories of youth culture, £12,600
• Salaam Festival CIC, Sundook, £14,250
• Scribblingtown, From Scribblingtown I come, £9,670
• SICK! Productions, Moston, Harpurhey, Charlestown Shared Heritage Mural Project, £24,820