Rainbow-themed Pride garden at Springvale Youth Centre

Date published: 31 July 2019

A rainbow-themed garden has been created at Springvale Youth Centre in Middleton.

This year the young people have themed the garden on rainbow colours to celebrate the first year of local LGBT+ pride, Rochdale in Rainbows.

Rochdale in Rainbows presents Pride will begin on Saturday 16 November with two weeks of awareness raising activities and the borough’s first LGBT+ conference.

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/129240/borough%E2%80%99s-first-pride-to-be-held-in-november

The youths have painted flowerpots in the LGBT+ colours, in which they have planted flowers which they have grown from seed and taken care of at home.

They also wanted to acknowledge Middleton’s famous son, Samuel Bamford, for the 200th anniversary of the Peterloo Massacre.

A radical reformer and writer, Samuel inspired a call for an end to poverty and the beginning of democracy, leading a group of marchers from Middleton to St Peter's Fields in August 1819.

They had travelled to hear political speeches, but the day became known as the Peterloo Massacre after 18 protestors were killed and nearly 700 injured after soldiers and special constables attacked the public protest calling for democratic representation.

It is also documented that a rainbow was present at Mr Bamford’s funeral in Middleton.

Some of the youths from the centre and local schools volunteered their time as part of the voluntary sector of the Duke of Edinburgh award to create the garden, which has also been an entry in this year's North West in Bloom contest under the It's Your Neighbourhood category.

Jill Amos, a youth worker with Rochdale Borough Council, said: “They recycled an old bike and planted this up. It looks lovely and it is great to keep the centre looking like a youth club for those passing by.

“Everyone who uses the centre has been involved from youth workers, family workers, young people with disabilities. Not one plant has been damaged and they have taken so much time looking after it.”