George Street Chapel Heritage Tour

We travelled by tram from Manchester to Oldham to join a fascinating tour telling the remarkable stories of the George Street Chapel.

George Street Chapel was built by its congregation between 1815 and 1816. Though it was re-modelled and re-pewed by them in the 1830’s and 1850’s, and they purchased a pipe organ in 1890, its appearance has remained substantially as it was built in 1815. It closed for worship in 1990 with only six regular members.

The original chapel members had broken away from St Peters Church in 1805 and the group initially were known as ‘George Hardman’s folk’ before taking the name of ‘Independent Methodists’. Their chapel in George Street was the first purpose built Independent Methodist Chapel in the country.

After an introductory talk and a short film we stepped back in time to meet the people who lived, learnt and worshipped in the chapel building.

On our journey back in time to 1851 (using costumed actors) we visited the inhabitants of the cellar dwellings. We encountered real Oldhamers and enjoyed a traditional washday experience in Jackson Pit. After seeing the petty man we visited the school room where we had do as we were told as Miss Hopwood was very strict and expected excellent behaviour in her class.

We ended up with tea, coffee and cake and some of us even had a bacon sarnie.

More photos can be seen here.

Holly Johnson Story

On Wednesday, 9 October we will be travelling to Liverpool to see the Holly Johnson Story. The exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool celebrates Holly Johnson’s creative genius, charting his personal life and extraordinary music career over five decades. If you wish to join us, please contact us here.

The Tom of Finland Foundation is thrilled to announce that Holly Johnson has been inducted into the Artist Hall of Fame for artistic achievements and steadfast commitment to the art and culture of our community.

Firmly established as a household name with his success with Frankie Goes To Hollywood and his first solo debut album in 1989.

In 1994, he revealed to us his struggle with, and acceptance of, his gayness. He has been a monumental figure in our community. He was diagnosed with HIV in 1991 and has remained creative as a painter and printmaker and songwriter. One of his paintings appears as the cover to the Kirsty MacColl single “Angel”.

Born in Liverpool, he studied for a Master of Arts at art school and had his paintings exhibited at the Royal College of Art and at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2001. As a lover of art, he met Warhol and even named himself after one of Andy’s “superstars” (Holly Woodlawn).

The current exhibition at the Museum of Liverpool shows the visitor not only the glamour and sexual liberation but also the fear and stigma associated with being a gay man.

His creative genius has always put him at the forefront of every aspect of his career. His courage as an internationally renowned queer artist has been an inspiration to untold millions.

This year’s theme is: “The part we play”: Celebrating the integral role of older people in our communities.

Background

Each year on 1 October, people across the world mark United Nations International Day of Older People to raise awareness of opportunities and challenges faced by ageing populations, and to mobilise the wider community to address difficulties faced by older people.

Introduction to the theme for 2024

Older people play an integral part in strengthening our communities and neighbourhoods; as workers, carers, volunteers, activists and community connectors. But these vital contributions are often overlooked, or limited by ageism and other societal and physical barriers. 

As well as helping others, volunteering has been shown to improve our social connections, enhance our sense of purpose and self-esteem. Paid work can have a positive impact on wellbeing as well as finances. Despite this, many older people find themselves encountering barriers to getting involved in all the ways they would like to.  

We all have a part to play in making our communities and neighbourhoods better places to age, and in celebrating and enabling the contributions of older people. 

On this International Day of Older People, we are celebrating older people and the vital part they play, and have the potential to play, in making our community a better place to be.     

An Afternoon With The King!! – Elvis is Back in the Building!!

We celebrated older people’s day with a Rock ‘n’ Rolling party starring Manc Elvis & His Magical Band!

Manchester’s premier Elvis tribute act presented a Saturday afternoon packed with all the King’s greatest hits guaranteed to get us up and dancing in our blue suede shoes!

It was a great afternoon – think ‘a little less conversation’ and a lot more ‘all shook up’!

LGBTQ+ Majority Extra Care Scheme Update

We are delighted to share the good news that planning permission has been approved for the UK’s ‘first of a kind’ purpose-built majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care social rent housing scheme.
 
This is a real celebratory moment for all partners involved in this development, which has been in the works for some years and is designed to meet a clear need for quality, social rent housing for LGBTQ+ older people to live in safety, dignity and as part of a welcoming and supportive community.

Commenting on the planning approval actor Ian McKellen, LGBT Foundation patron and committed supporter of the Pride in Ageing Programme, who visited the Russell Road site earlier this year, said: 

“It’s wonderful to see Manchester leading the way yet again. Our community deserves to be able to age in a safe and welcoming environment where we are accepted for who we are, and Russell Road will do just that. Congratulations to everyone involved in the project and I look forward to following its progress and seeing the scheme open!”

The plans for the majority LGBTQ+ Extra Care housing scheme will deliver 80 one- and two-bedroom apartments for older people within a high-quality sustainable building offering a safe and welcoming feel and inviting presence whilst designed to respect the surrounding conservation area. The low-carbon scheme will include shared communal facilities including lounges, treatment rooms and landscaped gardens and will deliver an overall net gain of trees on the site.

Extra Care housing schemes look to increase the housing opportunities for older people to move into high-quality accommodation, with flexible care and support services available to meet changing needs and encourage independent living.

The residents at Russell Road will be aged 55 years or over, with the majority of residents being members of the LGBTQ+ community from Manchester.

For more information on how you can get involved contact Adam Preston from LGBT Foundation at adam.preston@lgbt.foundation