Stories of Nello James

Do you have memories of the Nello James Centre in Whalley Range?

Do you remember when it first opened?

Did you work there, attend events there, or have childhood memories connected to it?

We’re inviting you to share your stories, photographs, and artefacts as part of Stories of Nello James - a day of collective remembering, reflection and celebration.

-----------

Is a Project led by Rekindle School created to capture the untold stories of the Nello James Centre, one of South Manchester’s first Black-owned and Black-led community spaces. Though the building has changed hands, its legacy lives in the memories of the people who shaped it.

There is currently no formal archive that documents the Centre’s history, but we know that its stories, photographs and artefacts are scattered, held in people’s homes, albums and memories across Manchester and beyond. This project is the beginning of bringing that heritage back together.

Our goal is to create a collective community archive, to be housed permanently at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Centre and Education Trust in Manchester Central Library, where these histories can be studied, celebrated and preserved for generations to come.

Join us for an afternoon of storytelling, food and music as we begin to piece together the living archive of a place that helped shape South Manchester’s African and Caribbean landscape.

Bring your memories, your voice, and any mementos you may have.

Together, we’ll keep the spirit of Nello James alive for generations to come.

-------------

The Nello James Centre, founded in the 1970s in Whalley Range, was one of Manchester’s first Black-owned and Black-led community centres. It became a vital hub for activism, culture, and education — a place where the African and Caribbean community organised, created, and celebrated together.

Also check out other Sports events in Manchester.