Celebrating our beautiful Public Hall in the House of Lords

The beautiful hall, built in 1878 by John Rylands and currently home to Stretford Community Hub, has been included in a list of British heritage buildings recognised nationally for their role in supporting community wellbeing and providing warm spaces.

Hub volunteer Hazel Gibb will represent the Public Hall at a special parliamentary reception to celebrate the launch of ‘A Place of Living’: the role of Heritage Buildings on Community Wellbeing in a ‘Decade of Renewal’. 

Hazel serves soup at the Hub which was set up in 2020 by Trafford Council and Friends of Stretford Public Hall to help residents struggling to get through the cost of living crisis. She said: 

“The Public Hall and the Community Hub are so important to the people of Stretford and I do not know what we would do without them. There are people in our community who are really struggling to get by and I am delighted to be given the opportunity to help them out.

“I really enjoy working at the Hub and making soup for the people who use our facility. The Community Hub is a lifeline for so many people and I am delighted to be involved. I am looking forward to representing the Hub at the House of Lords.”  

Residents who visit the Hub will be given a warm welcome by volunteers and treated to a brew and some of Hazel’s tasty soup every Tuesday.

Emma Finn, Community Hub Co-ordinator, said:

“We are so proud to have received this invite and I am delighted that Hazel will be going along on behalf of everyone at Stretford Public Hall. I would like to say a big thank you to Hazel – and all of our volunteers – for everything. We could not survive without you.”

The event, organised on behalf of Lord Alderdice and Zöe Franklin MP, takes place in the River Room at the House of Lords on February 10. Their research project looked at how heritage buildings were helping provide warm welcomes to residents.

Cllr George Devlin, Trafford Council’s Executive Member for Housing and Advice, said: 

“Stretford Community Hub is a fantastic asset to the community and provides a very warm welcome to everyone who visits.

“Many of our residents attend the Hub for help with a number of issues but can also have a cup of tea and a chat in safe warm place. Congratulations to everyone associated with the Hub and Public Hall for this honour. It is very much deserved.”  

For further advice and information, visit the Stretford Public Hall website or call 0161 989 1689