Together Trust Archive

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 .

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.

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...

An often admired image from the Together Trust’s archive is that of a simple pen and ink drawing which depicts a group of children moving out from the shadows into the light. As if moving from the darkest corners of the city, where poverty and hardship were often found, the children move toward salvation (both physically and spiritually) – an artistic representation of the charity’s work in the early twentieth century, when the Boys’ and Girls’ Refuges stood as a beacon of hope, warmth and security to the young people of Manchester and Salford.                    

"Bethesda is not a place merely for the dreaming of dreams, it is also a hive of industry. Healing and teaching go hand in hand. The children are educated on the premises by a qualified staff of teachers. Many handicrafts are taught and really beautiful work is done by some of the patient-students, for what they lack in mobility they more than make up for in concentration." - Annual Report, 1920 The ‘Bethesda Home for Crippled and Incurable Children’ on Cheetham Hill was one of Leonard Shaw’s proudest achievements. As well as providing medical treatment to children from some of the direst of conditions it also encouraged them to overcome their disabilities. Bethesda Home, George Street, 1904