Together Trust Archive

We have often considered the impact of the First World War on the Manchester and Salford Refuges on this blog with solemn remembrances of the care leavers and staff who died, celebrations of their bravery, and the economic effects on the day-to-day running of the charity. Yet the war affected the charity in other ways, as it led to higher numbers of admissions to the charity's residential homes.

On Saturday 10 th October 1891, the first ever street collection for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) was held in a place you would not typically associate with the sea – Manchester. The inland city of Manchester may be known for its Ship Canal, but residents were moved to support the families of the 27 RNLI lifeboatmen, from St Anne's and Southport, who lost their lives  rescuing crew members from the sunken vessel, Mexico,  some five years earlier .

Join us on Facebook from Monday 12th October - Friday 16th October to share your memories of the Together Trust, the Boys' and Girls' Welfare Society, and the Manchester and Salford Boys' and Girls' Refuges and Homes. 

The UK government’s Track and Trace system introduced to manage the spread of COVID-19 is certainly new in its approach, but monitoring outbreaks of infectious disease is nothing new.

Although less than one per cent of this blog’s audience is made up of readers from Australia, a nice little story has sprung up from down under, unearthing a connection between the Australian horticulturalist and broadcaster, Peter Cundall , and our summer camp at Birkdale.

We may be out of lockdown, but I'm sure there are still many who are shielding or keeping indoors (especially when the weather is so miserable). For those who want an art and history fix, or for those in need of mindful relaxation, you can colour our collections by downloading a free colouring pack from the Together Trust website here .

As summer begins and temperatures soar many of us may be looking forward to getting away (though this not an essential nor easy thing to do or consider at this time due to the pandemic). For many young people in our homes during the Victorian period and into the mid twentieth century holidays were a luxury. Our charity went some way, however, to provide a holiday experience for those who may otherwise never journeyed beyond the city limits for some much needed play and relaxation. During Local History Month in May, we focused on funding and donations from local communities; this time we are zoning in one particular area, Prestwich, north of Manchester, to look at some of the many ways in which individuals and families outside of Manchester and Salford supported the charity and helped young people to venture out of the city in summer.

The Open Door, or The Ever Open Door as our Children's Shelter was often termed, was the inspiration for the title of our recent book written by Andrew Simpson which documents our 150 year history. 

Today we learned the sad news of Dame Vera Lynn 's passing. The voice of a generation, her music provided both cheer and solemn reflection during the Second World War and beyond. Known for her rendition of We'll Meet Again , the song touched a new generation during the recent 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day on the 8th May this year.

As promised we return to share our Explore Your Archive tweets for the year so far , so you can explore our archive.

Earlier in the month we looked at how some of the young people from the Manchester and Salford Refuges celebrated May Day . Though the charity itself did not formally observe this day, another May holiday that the charity celebrated with great enthusiasm falls this Sunday 31 st – Whitsun .

It's local and community history month, so we are looking at some of the communities across Greater Manchester and Cheshire that have helped us change lives over the past 150 years.

Today is May Day , a day often observed by European cultures to celebrate springtime; filled with traditional dance (often around a maypole), and, chiefly in England, the crowning of the May Queen . 

Continuing our exploration of the illustrations created for the Manchester and Salford Refuges, we’re putting a spotlight on an image depicting the events of the 1923 Belmont Garden Fete . Some readers may have seen this little cartoon before.

Like many archives across the UK and Ireland, we have been sharing stories and images from the archive on Twitter for Explore Your Archive 2020.

On 2nd April 1896 a group of 173 boys, under the care of the Reverend Robert Wallace and his wife, journeyed aboard the Scotsman from Liverpool to the Marchmont Receiving Home in Belleville, Canada. Of the 173, approximately 70 boys were from the Manchester and Salford Refuges and Homes. It took eight days for the ship to arrive at the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia. On 14th April, Revd. Wallace reported the following: From The Children's Haven ( CH ), May 1896

In 2019, the Together Trust secured a generous grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support the charity’s 150th anniversary celebrations and community projects in 2020. As part of this grant we are digitising and making accessible the charity’s annual reports dating from 1870-1919.

It is our delight to announce the release of The Ever Open Door:  150 Years of the Together Trust. Andrew Simpson , Chorlton-based local historian, has delved into the charity's vast archive to bring together the history of the Together Trust. The book covers all aspects of the charity's work and services  –  from emigration and summer camps, to our Bethesda service and Inscape House School. The cover boasts the work of Liz Ackerley Art , who we were proud to commission to create this striking reinterpretation of the  Children's Shelter , breathing new life into one of our former homes. From the bleak Victorian streets of Manchester, whence Leonard Kilbee Shaw and Richard Bramwell Taylor were moved to open a 'Night Refuge for Homeless Boys', to the bright and brilliant Bridge College, this is a story of life changing proportion. Buy your copy now for £14.99 plus postage and packaging. For those who hold a Manchester Library card, w...

Recently, we uncovered the mystery behind the charity’s first logo which was created by Enid Blyton illustrator, Grace Lodge. Discovering this fact prompted the investigation into the illustrations of the charity’s early urban services that graced (excuse the pun) the pages of the early annual reports and charity magazines. An illustration of the early Manchester and Salford Refuges and Homes Some of the above illustrations are the only records we have left of our early buildings. The engraved images are copies of original photographs, some of which still survive in the archive. Looking closely at the only surviving reproduction of the interior of the Mission Hall, the illustrator’s signature, reads ‘LANGTON’. Robert Langton (1825-1900) was a Manchester-based engraver and illustrator from Gravesend, Kent. An Associate of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts , his most well-known work was The Youth and Childhood of Charles Dickens (1891) which he both authored and illustr...

From 1 February until 24 May 2020 the Together Trust is taking over (a small corner of) The Lowry at Salford Quays! The  150 Artists  exhibition is result of an inspiring project which has seen young people currently supported by the Together Trust delve into the charity's archive to interpret, celebrate, and reflect on the charity and what it means to them, through artwork and other forms of media. The young people who created the content for this exhibition collaborated with 14 artists who were co-commissioned by people supported at our Newbridge service. Funded by Arts Council England, the project has also enabled seven trainee artists to enhance their skills and experience throughout the project. Be sure to check out the amazing artwork, as well as a brief, yet insightful, look into the charity's Manchester and Salford based services of old, at the Circle Bar at  The Lowry , Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ. Here's a peek at the archive d...

Regular readers will have noticed that the blog has recently undergone a bit of a transformation. If you keep up with the charity via social media or the website you will have seen that the Together Trust has a whole new look, complete with a fresh and colourful new logo  –  just in time to help kick-start our 150th year.  Throughout 2020 we are reflecting on our history, celebrating our achievements and how far we have come (as well as the work we currently do), all whilst looking to the future.

Dear Interested party The charity is now two weeks into its new venture, providing a home for boys in a small building on Quay Street. There are now 16 residents aged 11-16 who enter the refuge each night, have supper, sleep on hammocks, receive breakfast and then leave for the day.  It may be interesting to note the few rules we have established to those who ask for admission: We desire in no case to interfere with the duty of the parent, and therefore consider boys who have parents living in Manchester ineligible, except under very special circumstances. As we propose to help those only who can help themselves, boys who will not do so are not eligible. We were at first reluctant to help boys whom still have parents alive, as it is parents duty to provide for their child. Similarly, we believe boys should understand the importance of contributing to their own wellbeing so we only provide for those who were prepared to work. Despite our strong protestant beliefs, no reference i...

Tomorrow, Saturday 4th January 2020, sees the Together Trust reach the grand old age of 150. The ‘Night Refuge for Homeless Boys’ was opened on the 4th January 1870 at Number 16, Quay Street. On that first night, 10 lads presented themselves for admission: