A church in Hulme has launched a library made up of radical and political texts.
The Church of Ascension on Stretford Road has turned an upstairs room into a reference library.
It was opened earlier this week to mark International Women's Day.
The room which will become the library already holds political and historical significance as it was the place where asylum seeker Viraj Mendez sought refuge for two years in the 1980s.
Reverend Bec Wilkinson explained why the church has decided to open a library.
She said: “The Ascension Church in Hulme has got a rich history of being associated with protest, perhaps being made famous in the 1980s when it provided sanctuary to a political asylum seeker for two years. He actually lived in that room upstairs where we’re developing a library.
“So, it’s partly about history, and it’s partly about honouring the people of Hulme now."
The texts which will fill the library were mostly donated by two pioneers of gender studies at Manchester Metropolitan University, Janet Batersleer and Margaret Beetham with further donations made by the Louise Dacocordia Trust.
The reverend hopes that the space will work as a reference library for anyone to visit and learn.While the library will have books on wider political issues, the main attraction will be the texts on the local political history of the area, such as history of the Hulme Crescents and the ‘heydays’ of the 1980s as well as the development of Hulme.
She said: “Essentially, we are taking care of several parts of key archives around, not just women’s history but political history and not just in the local area.
“The hope is, students of any gender, that it might spur on future research projects because we’re right on the doorstep of MMU and the universities and we’re hoping to be of us to them.
“The people of Hulme have many talents and skills and they have some educational resources but it’s always great to offer them more resources and it’s great to see them be empowered.
“Rather than saying, we’ve got all of the stuff, it’s about working in partnership. When we work together, look at what we can achieve.
“I have met so many amazing women in Hulme and, and I’m part of an all male team actually, and when I first arrived in July I thought ‘where are all the women?’ and I have spent the last seven months discovering all of the women in my parish and they are really resilient and incredible and this to me feels like an important day to celebrate women throughout history and all that they have done. That for me is the motivation behind it.”
To visit the library at the Church of Ascension, an appointment must be made due to the size of the space, and appointments can be made by emailing Reverend Bec Wilkinson at becwilkinsonascension@gmail.com
Read more about International Women's Day: International Women's Day 2021 - inspirational women who made their mark on Greater Manchester
