Together Trust seeks memories of charity to commemorate 150th anniversary

Together Trust has put out a call to the public for memories of the charity’s history to be preserved in its archives as part of 150th anniversary celebrations.

Together Trust was founded in 1870 as the Manchester and Salford Boys and Girls Refuges and Homes. The charity was founded to improve the lives of young people neglected by the state. 150 years later the Together Trust is one the North West’s leading disability charity’s and the work of its founders continue to inspire their modern-day values.

Liz Sykes, the Together Trust archivist explained the history of the charity:

We were founded in 1870 by two Sunday school teachers, Leonard Kilbee Shaw and Richard Bramwell Taylor. While volunteering at St Ann’s Ragged school, Manchester, they encountered the harsh realities facing children in Victorian Britain. Deeply moved by this experience, they worked tirelessly to give all young people a better start at life.

“By 1920, Manchester and Salford Boys’ and Girls’ Refuges and Homes helped around 125,000 children and had moved to Cheadle. Then after 90 years, we changed our name to the ‘Boys and Girls Welfare Society’ (BGWS) in 1960.

“Over the last thirty years our charity has grown considerably, moving into areas that were once the domain of local authorities. In 2005 we changed our name to the Together Trust to reflect our connected services and the collaborative approach we take”

Thanks to funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund the Together Trust had a year of celebrations planned however these were understandably put on hold whilst the country faced a global pandemic. Now, celebrations have been reimagined and events will be taking place virtually and across social media.

Liz Sykes continued:

Throughout our history we’ve connected with local communities and organisations that have shared our values. The memories they have of the Together Trust should be captured and preserved in our archive for future generations to enjoy and learn from.

“People might remember our annual bonfire event, or they could have been a Salford taxi driver who used donate their time to drive our young people from Bethesda to Blackpool as part of a charity day. Maybe they have a photo when the Gladiators opened the Cheadle Festival, or when Steve Coogan opened Inscape House School. Whatever their memory, we’d love to hear from them.”

The public will be asked to share their recollections of the Together Trust along with any pictures or memorabilia as part of a Facebook event running between Monday 12 and 16 October 2020, or memories can be emailed directly to the charity.