Reunions and donations

Last Saturday was a special day for the Together Trust as the charity welcomed some old friends back to its central offices. Past service users of the Together Trust’s residential homes returned to Cheadle to reminisce, see old friends and look around the buildings which they used to live in. We hope it was enjoyed by all who attended. We certainly loved hearing their stories!

Playing table tennis in the Belmont grounds

An added surprise bonus from the event was the addition of some new photographs to our archive. They were donated to the Together Trust by two gentlemen who were in our Crossley Home in the 1950s. The house parents of Crossley Home at this time were Mr and Mrs Whalley, who looked after the sixteen boys resident in the home. During this time they compiled a photograph album of the different boys in the house, which eventually ended up in the possession of some of those residents. The photographs give a wonderful insight into life in the Belmont Homes in the 1950s. They show examples of dress, sport, activities and holidays at the charity, as well the individuals who used to live there. 

Resident fixing a car outside Hayes Shaw

For me, the main benefit was the context that accompanied the album. Most of the photographs already in the Together Trust’s collection have very little accompanying information. We have intriguing pictures back to the early 1900s of work carried out by the charity. We rarely know specific dates or the names of the individuals featured however. To have full albums of photographs with these details is a rare treat! It also means that if any of the individuals return to us in the future wanting to know more about their time here, we can provide what most people want – photographs. 

Casper, Crossley Home cat

For a lot of us, images of our childhood are a certainty. These spark memories, remind us of happy times and allow us to remember. For those who do not have access to this it can be like losing a part of our childhood. To the Together Trust it’s a hugely important part of our corporate memory. We are hugely grateful to anyone who has images of the charity in our early days and who might donate or let us have copies. Help us fill the gap!

If you can help us, please contact us by commenting on the blog below, email us or  phone 0161 283 4859. Thank you.