Mechanics' Institution Trust, Swindon

Thanks to Swindon Advertiser for this nice article on the first week of our Sharing Swindon's Story project.

More info on our Sharing Swindon's Story project here, with thanks to Swindon Link magazine.
If you aren't already following the project you can find it here - www.facebook.com/swindonstory

For those who would like to follow our Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots project which starts next week, we've set up social media pages for the project. We hope you'll join us in #SharingSwindonsStory by liking and sharing our posts, including regular updates on what the young people are finding out.
The Facebook page can be found here, but we're also on Instagram and Twitter, so please follow us there too! And don't forget to invite your friends to follow it too 🙂
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Swindon Local Studies, Viewpoint Community Media, Prime Theatre, Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon, Wiltshire Community Foundation.

It's the first Sunday of the month this Sunday 5th August and the Railway Village Museum will be open 10:00-3:00. Meet our team of brilliant volunteers who will welcome you to a 1900 Railway Workers Home. Free entry. No. 34 Faringdon Road.

We still have spaces available on our fully funded (ie. FREE) creative arts & heritage summer youth project which starts NEXT WEEK! We really want as many local young people as possible to benefit from this brilliant opportunity so please like and share this post to help us reach as many young people and parents / guardians as possible. It's OK if you can't take part in the whole project, even if you can only make it to some sign up here tinyurl.com/yd6p5pzn or email becca@mechanics-trust.org.uk for more info.
Lots of thanks to National Lottery players and the Heritage Lottery Fund Young Roots programme for making this project possible. It's going to be lots of fun!

Our Heritage Lottery Funded Young Roots project starts on Monday 6th August and runs until the end of 2018. We're looking for 40 young people aged 11-17 who want to take part in Sharing Swindon's Story through creative arts and media activities.
It's a great opportunity to learn new skills in mural art, theatre, film, online digital media and heritage research, find out about Swindon's amazing history and have fun all at the same time!
To secure a space, please complete the o...nline form at - https://tinyurl.com/yd6p5pzn - as soon as possible, but no later than 31/07/18!
For more information please email becca@mechanics-trust.org.uk
Please like and share this post to help us reach young people from all parts of Swindon!
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Are you or do you know a young person aged 11-17 who'd like to take part in a creative arts and media project starting this summer holidays and running and 'til the end of 2018?
We're looking for 40 young people from across Swindon who'd like to find out about Swindon's amazing heritage and tell the story of our town through their own lens!
If you or someone you know may be interested, please email Becca on becca@mechanics-trust.org.uk and we'll get back to you with more deta...ils.
Please share this post to help us reach young people from all parts of Swindon.
Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Prime Theatre, Viewpoint Community Media, Swindon Viewpoint, Swindon Local Studies.
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Can you help?

We're pleased to be working with Wiltshire and Swindon History Centre, Swindon Local Studies, Prime Theatre, Viewpoint Community Media and of course the Railway Kids Youth Club on this exciting new youth project!
Huge thanks to National Lottery players, the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon for making it possible.

On this day, the 70th birthday of the NHS, we're pleased to announce that we've been awarded a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to run a creative youth project to research and share the amazing community and cultural heritage of our town through theatre, visual art, film and online.
Among other wonderful aspects, this will include the incredible story of the Medical Fund Society which, as many of you know, provided a blueprint for and was then handed over to the National ...Health Service on this day in 1948.
This exciting project will start in the school summer holidays and will run until the end of this year through our weekly Railway Kids Youth Club, which takes place every Thursday at Central Community Centre. We will be able to work with approximately 40 young people aged 11-17 and we're keen to engage from across the town as well as those living in the central area.
We'll also be looking for older generations of Swindonians who would be willing to share their memories of the Mechanics' Institute, the Medical Fund, the Children's Fete or anything related, or who may have memorabilia they could share with the young people taking part.
We'll be releasing more information on this project next week. In the meantime, if you have anything you wish to contribute, or if you know a young person who might like to take part, please email becca@mechanics-trust.org.uk
Thank you to National Lottery players who have made this project possible and a big Happy Birthday to the NHS!
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It's the first Sunday of the month this Sunday 1st July which means the Railway Village Museum will be open 10:00-3:00. Meet our engaging and knowledgeable volunteers who will welcome you to a 1900 Railway Workers house. It's also amazingly cool in the cottage to escape the hot weather! Free entry. No. 34 Faringdon Road.

You all did a wonderful job in the park on Saturday 10 out of 10 to you all xxx

Well done, your efforts are much appreciated, the mechanics institute and Swindon really needs this and similar projects/trusts :0)

The saving of the Mechanics Institution that I used to use during my time in BREL works is an ongoing saga that never seems to come to an end. I feel that Swindon Borough Council does not have any real interest in finding a use for the building or cooperating with the Mechanics Institution Trust or they would have done it by now. Rather I think that sadly the building will become so dilapidated that it will not be salvageable any longer, and will be used by SBC for yet more building of high class flats for the use of short stay people to visit the town. It is still my understanding that SBC is owed money for work that they did on the building many years ago now to try and preserve it, by a Matthew Singh of Forefront Estates the then owner that did one, and disappeared off the radar,

I have often kicked around an idea for the building, and a way to get restored at the same time, as I believe that if we wait for the current Tory SBC to agree with the Mechanics Institution Trust over a future use then we will wait forever, despite the proactive noises that they make now and again that I believed to be nothing but a ruse.

My idea (and it may be laughed at and poo-pooed by some) yet has been tried in other parts of the UK with similar buildings, is firstly to procure money from either SBC which is unlikely being as they would rather have anew art gallery first and foremost, or a lottery grant bid, which i believe may have been tried and failed before. When the money is in place, invite local people that are skilled tradesmen to pitch in by giving up free time to work on the building for the aim of restoring it for the use of the local community, i.e. like a co-operative effort. Those that participated would then been issued with lifetime shares in the building entitling them to use it at a very low fee for wedding receptions, various local club organization meetings, and other social events. In this way the old theatre could be brought back in to use, and also the big hall for the functions. Of course other residents would would be able to use the building, however shareholding trades people that participated voluntarily in its restoration would have first call for functions etc. A on hand list of skilled labour volunteers would need to be kept and added to for the future so as the building did not revert back in to disrepair. One the building is again viable then maybe SBC would take more notice and pitch in with the upkeep of the place. This is only arough outline of an idea, however i am sure that such schemes have worked elsewhere in the this country. Unless something is done very soon then it will go the same way as Swindon's Baptist tabernacle, Central hall, Corn Exchange etc.

The Mechanics' Institution Trust is passionate about the social and architectural history of Swindon's Railway Village and the conservation of its heritage buildings. In my role at Incredible Edible Swindon I have also had the pleasure of working in partnership with the Trust to develop growing projects in the Village. Through this work I have seen how committed they are to supporting the local community and working with them on new activities and projects.

Have attended excellent heritage events organised by the Trust including the Railway Worker's Cottage Open Day - such an important and heritage-rich part of Swindon.