As members of the Salford CVS family, 21st April was far from an ordinary working day for us. We arrived at the office in the morning as usual, but instead of settling into routine tasks, we were paired up with colleagues and given a special mission: to visit some of the VCSE groups we work with across the city and capture as many photos as possible.
Why all the visits and photographs on a normal working day? The reason soon became clear, it was the 100th anniversary of Salford becoming a city. To mark this important milestone, Salford CVS organised a campaign celebrating Salford through images of its people, places, and community groups.
Our area of exploration was Irlam and Cadishead. Luckily, Kiah had her car, which made it possible for us to visit all the groups planned for the day with ease. The day itself was bright and sunny; perfect for our visits. Our first stop was Ability Cooperative Ltd, also known locally as Princes Park Garden Centre. When we arrived, many of the people they support - adults with learning disabilities were busy working in the garden centre. We received a warm welcome, and everyone kindly agreed to pose for photos with the Salford Centenary sign. It was heartwarming to see their enthusiasm and pride in being part of Salford’s celebration.
Our second destination was the Together Family Centre, a regular recipient of Salford CVS funding. Although the centre focuses on supporting the Polish community, it warmly welcomes people from all backgrounds. They were delighted by our visit and clearly inspired by the city’s centenary celebrations. We enjoyed walking around their centre and were impressed by the excellent facilities on offer, including spaces for counselling, coffee mornings, children’s activities, and much more.
Our third and final visit took us to the Hamilton Davies Trust (HDT). We met Sharon and shared a short but very friendly conversation. Their Salford 100 sign is in pride of place at their reception and they enjoyed reading their letter from the Mayor. HDT plays an important role in the community by providing educational support to children and promoting recreational and regeneration activities.
After completing our visits, we headed straight to the Civic Centre to join the rest of the Salford CVS team for a short centenary celebration led by the City Mayor. It was a joyful occasion, bringing together council staff, representatives from VCSE organisations, and members of the community; a fitting way to celebrate 100 years of Salford as a city.
After the celebration, we headed back to Irlam and Cadishead and took some pictures of important community venues and buildings, as it was our evening task.
This exercise gave both of us some valuable insights into the area and the groups we visited, and we were glad that we had been able to contribute to Salford's 100th birthday.