Community groups from across Salford are at the heart of the city’s 100th anniversary celebrations, delivering a diverse programme of events thanks to funding from the Salford Centenary Fund.
- £290,000 of funding made available through the Salford Centenary Fund
- Centenary celebrations showcasing the “Spirit of Salford”, bringing communities together across every neighbourhood of the city
- Celebrations reflect the diversity, creativity and pride of Salford's neighbourhoods
79 voluntary, community and social enterprise groups have received funding to date, with further small grants to be awarded in summer and early autumn. Managed by Salford CVS in partnership with Salford City Council, the funding is helping residents shape their own celebrations. From neighbourhood festivals and heritage projects to arts, sport and cultural events, Salford’s centenary is marked in every corner of the city, bringing communities together.
Launched to put communities front and centre of the milestone year, the Salford Centenary Fund is enabling grassroots organisations to celebrate the people, places and stories that define Salford – while creating opportunities for residents to connect and reflecting the diversity, creativity and pride of Salford's neighbourhoods.
Projects span a wide range of activity, including heritage exhibitions, storytelling initiatives, music performances, cultural festivals, sports events, family fun days, poetry projects and intergenerational activities.
Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, Lead Member for Culture, Heritage, Sports and Leisure at Salford City Council, said:
“Salford's centenary is an opportunity for us to celebrate everything that makes our city unique – our communities, our heritage and our people. The Salford Centenary Fund has enabled local organisations to bring forward exciting ideas that will help residents connect with our shared history while looking ahead to the future.
“The breadth of projects coming forward demonstrates the strength of community spirit across Salford and will ensure our centenary celebrations are truly rooted in the neighbourhoods and people that make this city special.”
Alison Page, Chief Executive of Salford CVS, said:
“The response from our sector has been incredible. The funded projects showcase the passion, creativity and commitment that exists within Salford's VCSE sector (voluntary organisations, community groups, charities, the community work of faith organisations, and social enterprises).
"From large-scale community festivals to smaller neighbourhood celebrations, these projects help tell Salford's diverse story through the voices and experiences of local people, while creating new opportunities for residents to connect and celebrate together."
Throughout 2026, residents and visitors can take part in cultural, civic and community events celebrating 100 years since Salford was granted city status, with activities taking place in neighbourhoods across the city. Highlights include:
- Salford Heart Care – Two community celebration days in Winton and Irlam will bring together members, volunteers and supporters to celebrate Salford’s centenary through entertainment, shared experiences and community connection.
- DIY Theatre CIC – Artists with learning disabilities will create visual art, film, drama and music inspired by Salford Museum & Art Gallery’s Your Salford 100 exhibition, culminating in a public celebration event.
- Aguda North West (Hershel Weiss) – Lechaim Celestival will celebrate Jewish life and heritage in Salford through a programme of learning, cultural activities and community events exploring the city’s past, present and future.
- Kickstart Community CIC – A new Family Club at Mesne Lea Primary School will bring families together through creative and playful activities designed to strengthen community connections and inspire future local initiatives.
- First Kick Foundation – An intergenerational music and creative programme bringing young people and older residents together to share stories, celebrate local pride and create a musical piece inspired by Salford.
- The Agnes Hopkins Community Centre – A community celebration event featuring food, entertainment, local performers and volunteers, recognising Salford’s centenary and the role of local communities in shaping the city.
- Warm Hut UK – A participatory storytelling and arts project exploring the experiences of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants through personal objects, memories and a community-created art installation.
- We Are Art with Heart CIO – Salford Voices will celebrate what it means to be Salfordian through film-making, storytelling and a touring centenary book collecting messages for future generations.
- DC Engage CIC (Divided Culture Co.) – 5:100 – A Century of Culture in Salford will use touring installations and exhibitions to reflect on 100 years of culture in Salford and imagine the city’s creative future.
- Salford Lads and Girls Club – This City Is Ours will bring together young people, families and older residents to reflect on Salford’s past and future, culminating in a newly commissioned community poem and lasting civic legacy.
- Salford Hongkongers CIC – Salford in the Air will showcase the traditional Hong Kong art form of “Floating Colours”, celebrating influential figures and promoting inclusion, equality and cultural exchange.
- Bluebells Community Club – Salford Sparks: 100 Years of Stories will engage children and young people in creative activities, local history, storytelling and intergenerational learning.
- MARC The Printers – Creating a Zine Library celebrating 50 years of Salford creativity, alongside exhibitions and printmaking workshops that support future grassroots creativity and enterprise.
- Arts Let Loose CIC – Transforming its community space into an evolving gallery of stories, artwork and memories through workshops, intergenerational activities and a community celebration event.
- Uncurbed Collective – Delivering 10 disabled-led pop-up performances and creative workshops across Salford, encouraging participation, creativity and community conversation.
- Bridgewater Foundation Salford – 100 Years of Play will capture memories of play across generations through a touring listening booth, Minecraft workshops and community events, creating a lasting Archive of Play.
- CommUNITY Little Hulton – Delivering 100 days of community activities alongside a youth-led time-travelling performance exploring Salford’s history across its first century as a city.
- Working Class Movement Library – The Great Betrayal: One Hundred Years On will revisit the legacy and lessons of the 1926 General Strike through an exhibition and public engagement programme.
- The Broughton Trust – Salford 100: A City in Verse will bring communities together through poetry and spoken word to create a collective work reflecting Salford’s past, present and future.
- Langworthy Cornerstone Association – A volunteer-led heritage project featuring exhibitions, guided walks and community-created artwork celebrating the history and evolution of Seedley and Langworthy.
- Salford City Roosters ARFLC – Reviving the historic Valentine’s Cup rugby league competition while investing in coaching programmes for local schools to create a lasting sporting legacy.
- Deli Lama Community Co-op Ltd – Home and Hearth Kitchen Yarns will celebrate Salford’s diverse food heritage and cultural connections through storytelling, shared meals, recipes and community conversations.
- Step in Training CIC – Made in Salford (1926–2026) will explore a century of local history through creative workshops including textile art, lantern-making and large-scale collage projects.
- Instigate Arts CIC – Nowt as Queer as Folklore will see artists work in Salford pubs to collect local folklore, memories and stories, creating new artworks and a trail celebrating community heritage.
- TAKE ACTION TOGETHER CIC – Woven Through Time will celebrate Salford’s textile heritage through community weaving workshops, culminating in a large-scale artwork representing 100 years of city life.
Further information about the Salford 100 programme and upcoming events is available on the Salford 100 website. Details regarding funding for centenary events can be found on the Salford Centenary Fund page.