On 22nd August the Guild's Executive Committee made a formal decision to work with Ancoats Building Preservation Trust (ABPT) to establish the Guild's new centre in the historic Ancoats area of central Manchester. The Guild will converting the Grade 2 listed Victorian church of St Peter's and construct a major new building, linked to the former church.

This decision follows an options appraisal carried out by Manchester-based consultants at the request of the Heritage Lottery Fund, who in July announced a grant of nearly £1 million to ABPT to carry out the restoration of St Peter's. The Embroiderers' Guild has signed a memorandum of understanding with ABPT, and aims to have the new centre built and running by the Guild's centenary year, 2006.

Ancoats, the world's first industrial suburb and a cradle of the textile industry, is a short-listed world heritage site and its regeneration is central to the strategy for East Manchester which saw the creation of the Commonwealth Games Sports City. Ancoats is easily accessible for Guild Members travelling by car or public transport and has on-street car parking.

The Guild Trustees’ momentous decision to move from Smithfield is exceptional and fortuitous. Trustees' deep concern about the course the Smithfield development is taking was echoed by a group of Guild Members who recently visited both sites.

All the skills and nearly all the work already carried out on the Guild's behalf (and largely funded by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of England) will be readily transferred the few hundred yards to Ancoats, and the architects and design team will all be retained. It is estimated that the Ancoats project will cost at least £500,000 less than the Smithfield one. Despite this saving the Guild will be able to achieve a superb and iconic new centre, with a superb range of facilities for Members, in an historic textile area.

For further information contact Sally Fahy on 020 8943 1229
email [email protected]

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