Press Releases

November 23 2009

Monastery hosts Gorton 100 festive finale

A year of celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of Gorton becoming a part of Manchester will culminate on Sunday 6 December with a grand festive finale at the Monastery, Manchester.

The fun starts at 2pm as part of the Monastery's free St Francis Sunday programme and will include free refreshments and performances from the Gorton Voice Choir. There will be information stalls and clock making, mug decorating and textile workshops

The afternoon of activities will conclude with a lantern procession involving 300 children from six local primary schools who will walk from the monastery to Gorton Park. At the park, the celebrations will draw to a close with an artistic fire display by Walk the Plank.

Allan Grafton, MBE, JP and Chair of Gorton 100 Committee, said "This has been a truly memorable year with many highlights including the K1 Beyer Peacock locomotive returning to its birthplace and the Rushcart Festival. Having the closing event in the impressive surroundings of the beautifully restored Gorton Monastery is a fitting end to a wonderful year. We hope as many people as possible will join us in this final celebration, which promises to be a fantastic occasion."

Elaine Griffiths, MBE, chief executive of The Monastery, Manchester said: "We're honoured to be able to host this important occasion. The Gorton 100 committee have worked extremely hard to deliver this year of celebrations and it's been fantastic and really brought the community together. This part of the city is truly a remarkable place full of inspirational people and we've very proud to be part of it."

The event has been made possible thanks to the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, Manchester City Council, Manchester City Football Club, New East Manchester and Gorton Monastery.

For more information about New East Manchester visit www.neweastmanchester.com, or for details about Gorton Monastery go to www.themonastery.co.uk

Ends

For further information contact Roz Hughes at New East Manchester on 0161 223 1155, ext 2167.

Notes to editors

New East Manchester (NEM) is an Urban Regeneration Company - a partnership between Manchester City Council, the national housing and regeneration agency Homes & Communities Agency and the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). It is NEM's role to turn the Regeneration Framework into action, secure the required public and private funding, lead on specific major development projects, and co-ordinate regeneration and renewal initiatives in the area.

This event is made possible using money raised through the National Lottery. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) sustains and transforms a wide range of heritage for present and future generations to take part in, learn from and enjoy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported more than 28,800 projects, allocating over £4.3billion across the UK. Website: www.hlf.org.uk

Walk the Plank is a creative force of artists and event engineers who create outdoor performance and specially-commissioned events. The company works nationally across a variety of scales, from intimate installations to large-scale theatre designed for thousands. Through touring performances and tailored site-specific commissions, these events connect people with places, and celebrate special occasions.