Our Focus Group will work with us to provide lived experience recordings about the cotton mills in Tameside. We have identified five local community groups who we will work with (listed below), and the first stage will be a series of “Space for Reflection” events that will help us identify and respond to individual requirements. We will discuss dietary requirements, mobility needs, accessibility considerations and any other practical arrangements needed to support participation. This person-centred approach will help create a welcoming and comfortable environment where all participants feel valued and able to contribute.

The main Focus Group event will be delivered in an accessible venue and facilitated in a way that encourages participation from everyone. Through guided conversations, reminiscence activities and opportunities to share photographs, documents and memorabilia, participants will help shape the recording and interpretation of their lived experiences. Individuals will be able to contribute in ways that suit them, whether through group discussion, one-to-one conversations or sharing personal materials. We hope to work with a professional recording and media company to record the sessions and produce high quality media.

Our community partners are A Place of Welcome, Age UK 131 Club, Droylsden Library Thursday Club, Local Archives Thursday Club (Ashton-under-Lyne) and The Wednesday Fellowship at Rosemount Trinity Methodist Church, Hyde.

By placing older residents at the heart of planning, decision-making and storytelling, the project will create a genuinely inclusive and collaborative approach to preserving the heritage of Tameside’s Cotton Mill Communities.