Libraries Update – July 2025
BBC Radio Manchester Show Live – Central Library
“I was delighted to join Mike Sweeney on his BBC Radio Manchester show live from Central Library on 23 July. The whole show was broadcast from the library café. Mike interviewed several libraries and archives staff as well as myself. The whole show was broadcast from the library café. Mike interviewed several libraries and archives staff as well as myself. He was so impressed by all that we had to say, and understood the value of libraries and archives and the impact it makes on local residents. He was particularly blown away by the Piccadilly Radio Archives exhibition and digitisation project.” Councillor John Hacking
40 Years of Manchester HIV Activism
On 8 July, HIV charity George House Trust marked the 40th anniversary of its creation with a Civic Reception on the actual day. Held on the exact date in 1985 that the Manchester Aidsline opened for its first call. The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Carmine Grimshaw, led the celebrations followed by spoken testimony from George House Trust volunteers and those whose lives and families have been impacted by HIV. This was a warm celebration of all the hard work and dedication shown by Chief Executive Darren Knight, project officer Joe Tanzer and their team of staff and volunteers from George House Trust and the amazing work they continue to do. It was also a fantastic showcase of the GHT40 Exhibition currently on display in the Archives+ exhibition area at Manchester Central Library which can be seen until the end of 2025. If you haven’t seen it yet, this is a must-visit exhibition which tells some brilliant personal accounts of how anyone and everyone can be affected by HIV and why we need to continue to highlight awareness.
Summer Reading Challenge – Story Garden
This year’s Summer Reading Challenge, themed on nature and the great outdoors, will hopefully help us to grow a city of readers this summer! The challenge to is to borrow and read six library books before 13 September and over 2,000 children have joined so far.
The Challenge was launched at Manchester Central Library with classes invited to meet the illustrator of the Summer Reading Challenge – Dapo Adeola. Dapo treated children to a masterclass in illustrating and invited them to draw-a-long with him too. All libraries are hosting free workshops and activity sessions to encourage children to join in with both the reading challenge and great creative activities. The library and Read Manchester teams are also out and about in parks joining children to the Challenge, giving away free books and hosting story times. The team are also working closely with some of the providers working with children as part of the Holiday Activity and Food programme. They are visiting their activity sessions to talk about books and also inviting the groups into libraries.
All of the information about Story Garden can be found on the Manchester Libraries blog.
Middleton Brings its History to Life with the Assheton Archive
Archives+ partnership has been celebrating the securing of the Assheton of Middleton collection for Greater Manchester which has been made possible with generous funding from the National Lottery and other funders. The Archives+ team have enjoyed bringing this amazing history to life with a programme of activities for children and adults aimed at exploring the medieval and early modern history of Greater Manchester. With enthusiastic help from our archives volunteers, participants have enjoyed palaeography workshops to understand these historic manuscripts, a field trip to Middleton church plus public events to showcase the fascinating social and local history of Sir Ralph Assheton and his family and lands including a real live medieval longbow archer at Central Library. Practical conservation workshops were delivered to help preserve these fragile documents which our volunteers described as “totally enthralling” and “fascinating to handle 500 year old documents complete with thumbprints on the wax seals!”
Local schools in Rochdale and Manchester also joined the team in learning about the Asshetons and the Middleton archers in British military history with support from local archery clubs in offering practical hands-on archery tasters alongside Assheton history activities. Feedback from teachers included: “The children haven’t stopped talking about the archery!”, we’ve loved really bringing local history to life for these young people.
Chess Club Tournament – Beswick Library
In the lead-up to the summer break, Beswick Library hosted an exciting seven-week Chess Club tournament, running from Thursday 8 May to Thursday 26 June (excluding half term). The tournament followed a league-style format with a points-based system and saw enthusiastic participation from around 30 students from The East Manchester Academy, each of whom played at least one game.
The tournament concluded with smiles all around. The winner and runners-up were delighted with their prizes, and even those who didn’t play expressed how much they still enjoyed the event. The event generated such a buzz that many attendees have already asked about a possible follow-up tournament next year, and staff received requests for them to hold a chess event over the summer holidays.
To read more about the competition, check out our Manchester Libraries blog.
Nurturing Foundations Fashion Show – Central Library
Nurturing Foundations is a dynamic community organisation based in Harpurhey, North Manchester. Their mission is to make a difference in the local community using a holistic, trauma-informed and culturally competent model of support to offer education programmes targeted at young people. Included in their offer is Beyond the Mirror, a culturally grounded course that encourages young people to use beauty, hair, and fashion as tools for self-expression and empowerment, linking practical skills to career opportunities in the beauty and fashion industry.
Central Library and Archives+ staff were delighted to be chosen as a venue for their end-of-year fashion show, where young people who had never visited our library before presented the amazing outfits they created during the programme. In the words of Councillor Erinma Bell, who was in attendance, “Young people are not the leaders of tomorrow: they are the leaders of today” and this evening was certainly a celebration of their creativity and potential.
LGBT Foundation Exhibition Launch – Central Library
2025 marks 50 years of queer hope and joy for LGBT Foundation – and the heart of the celebrations begins in the centre of Manchester. Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and proudly sponsored by Barefoot Wine, the 50 Years of Queer Hope & Joy Exhibition at Manchester Central Library invites the public into a powerful, moving, and often joyful journey through the stories that shaped five decades of LGBTQ+ life in Greater Manchester and beyond.
From never-before-seen archive materials and oral histories to community artefacts and campaign posters, the exhibition showcases the resilience, resistance, and creativity of LGBTQ+ people across generations. Whether you’re rediscovering the past or encountering it for the first time, this in-person exhibition places the lived experiences of queer people at the heart of the narrative. The 50 Years of Queer Hope and Joy Exhibition is open to the public on the Lower Ground floor at the entrance to City Library and in the 1st floor Reading Room until 31st December 2025.
Cultural Activities – Forum Library’s Creative Space
July was a vibrant month in the Forum Library’s Creative Space, filled with cultural activity and community spirit. The Creative Space featured on BBC Radio Manchester and have collaborated with Split the Atom, who are producing Wythenshawe Rising, a documentary commissioned by Manchester City Council. On 18 July, the Creative Space team hosted their first-ever movie premiere with Top and Tail Productions, drawing over 100 attendees. The red carpet event celebrated an intergenerational, community-led film project where local teenagers interviewed older residents around the question: If you could turn back time, what would you do differently? The evening featured first-time local actors and concluded with a lively Q&A between the cast and audience, it was a night to remember.
The Creative Space was featured on Mike Sweeneys BBC Radio Manchester Show Mike Sweeney – 23 July 2025 – BBC Sounds, and are featured at 1:45-1:49 minutes! In this feature the founders of Liveinshawe discussed the importance of the Creative Space for the local community helping to support local poets, musicians, and artists. Liveinshawe really embodies the ethos of the Creative Space in terms of providing free cultural and creative opportunities to local people. The Creative Space was also featured on Wythenshawe FM for Libraries Connected, check out the full episode here!
Summers Holiday Activities – Longsight Library
Longsight Library was delighted to welcome back artist Emma Martin, who led a vibrant indoor garden-making workshop in the children’s library. As part of this summer’s Holiday Activities programme, she worked with a group of talented and enthusiastic young people in a fast-paced, experimental style which challenged them to create five mushrooms in just 30 minutes, and a flower in 40!
The young participants embraced the creative challenge, staying so engaged they barely paused for lunch before jumping back into their work. The result is a stunning indoor garden that now brightens the children’s library, a beautiful testament to creativity, collaboration, and community spirit. Pop in and see the beautiful garden that’s appeared in the library.
The Generator – Supporting Businesses
It’s been a busy month at Generator, with workshops and networking events bringing
businesses and like-minded entrepreneurs together, adding to our thriving community.
We kicked off July with Beau Ormond from Focal Point, exploring how AI can streamline marketing strategies for start-ups and small businesses. This included a live demo with one of the attendees to see how easy and effective AI can be as a tool for start-ups. The Generator Breakfast Club welcomed long time member Kay, who hosted a talk on Storytelling in the Digital World, reminding us that connection starts with narrative. We also teamed up with NWCRC for a cybersecurity workshop, equipping attendees with the tools to identify threats, protect their businesses, and know what to do in the event of a breach.
On a more creative note, our podcasting workshop helped businesses tap into the ever growing world of audio storytelling using Generator’s podcasting gear, and this week we have an upcoming workshop on Canva hosted by our very own Enterprise Officer Gaelle. This month also marked a new milestone: our first Creatives Connect networking event at Royal Mills. Featuring live demos from three talented members in VR, podcasting, and photography, the event showcased how Generator is a game changer for creative professionals. Entrepreneurs and small business owners mingled, collaborated, joined the Generator community, and we can’t wait to host another one!
Supporting Start-Ups Across Manchester – Business & IP Centre
At Business & IP Centre Manchester, the team support a wide range of people with bold ideas, big dreams, and the drive to make them real. One of those inspiring founders is Shola, the creative force behind MyChocoBouquet! Combining the elegance of floral design with the joy of chocolate, Shola’s business offers beautifully crafted edible bouquets that are perfect for any occasion. Like many new entrepreneurs, free resources and information to get started can be a great support.
Shola was particularly focused on learning how to reach a wider audience, to understand how and why resources such as the databases could help her to take her business to the next level. Shola explored the information on various databases such as COBRA (Complete Business Reference Adviser) platform, “this gave me valuable insights into how and where to promote my business, as well as information on available funding opportunities”.
“The support I received was invaluable. I didn’t feel alone in the process,”
Read more about the MyChocoBouquet case study at the Manchester Libraries blog.
Full Volume: The Manchester Libraries Podcast
‘Full Volume: The Manchester Libraries Podcast’ takes listeners behind the shelves of our city’s much-loved libraries. Presented by the Central Library’s own Alan Lynch, every month the podcast lifts the lid on a treasure trove of insider tips, exclusive interviews, book reviews, and much more. Listen to Episode 7: John Robb
South Asian Heritage Month – Withington Library
As part of South Asian Heritage Month, Withington Library partnered with the Saheli group to host a vibrant celebration day. The event had a warm, relaxed atmosphere and was very well attended, with many guests arriving in beautiful traditional dress, a wonderful sight that added to the festive spirit.
A talented henna artist created stunning, intricate designs, giving attendees the chance to take home a unique piece of wearable art, which created a lasting memory of the day. Lily’s Deli provided a delicious spread, and guests enjoyed sharing a meal together, accompanied by refreshing glasses of mango lassi. This shared moment of food and conversation was a highlight, bringing people together in a joyful and welcoming space.
It was a truly special event, enjoyed by all. Guests left feeling happy, relaxed, and already asking when the next celebration would be.
CHaOS Science – Central Library
Central Library’s monthly Saturday Spectacular became even more exciting as they were joined by some really special guests! Meet CHaOS (Cambridge Hands-On Science), a group of student volunteers from the University of Cambridge who are keen to inspire the next generation of scientists. Their aim is to share their enthusiasm for science with people up and down the country, so the Central Library team were very excited to be chosen as one of the venues for their Summer Roadshow in the North of England. These amazingly talented volunteers brought a vast selection of family-friendly experiments to the library for the joy of over 100 budding scientists in attendance. What a way to kickstart the summer holidays! More on our school holidays programme in the next newsletter.
Crochet Art Celebrates Women’s Rugby World Cup – Central Library
In the lead-up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, Central Library staff are preparing a unique and creative tribute – a vibrant crochet art display inspired by the spirit of the tournament. This exciting project brings together the library’s monthly Crochet Club and a series of special ‘Crochet Bonanza’ events, where participants are crafting themed pieces to be featured in the final installation. These sessions have been a fantastic opportunity for people of all skill levels to get involved, learn new techniques, and contribute to a collaborative artwork that celebrates both sport and craft. The display will be unveiled in time for the start of the World Cup, offering visitors a colourful and meaningful way to engage with the event. Stay tuned for updates and be sure to visit the library to see the final display!
