Our Story
History of 422
422 Stockport Road was officially opened on the 1st March 1859 at the cost of approximately £2,000, with almost £900 of the total having been raised by a bazaar and public subscription. When originally opened, the Institution formed the most important educational facility in the Longsight district, and provided a library, reading room, elementary school and classes for foreign languages, as well as holding musical concerts, dances, lectures and meetings. The building was converted to Longsight Free Library in 1892. The newly completed library formed one of a number of free libraries Manchester Corporation that were established in the 1890s, and on the 23rd July 1892 the new library was officially opened by the Mayor of Manchester, Alderman Bosdin T. Leech.
The building operated as a library until the late 1970s. In 1993, it became Longsight Youth Centre, having been officially opened by Prince Edward. Run by the Manchester Youth Service, the building provided a space for local young people to socialise and access youth service.
Due to austerity cuts, the building was closed to the public in 2010 and fell into disrepair and dereliction, suffering some vandalism and becoming home to a group of squatters.
The Transformation
Having been closed for almost a decade, Manchester Vineyard, a local church, took on the renovation of 422 in July 2019, with plans to turn it into a space that the local community could be proud of. Before works took place, we spoke to hundreds of people in the local community to gather ideas and hopes for 422, particularly as our neighbourhoods experience some of the highest rates of child poverty in the UK.
Volunteers filled over 8000 bin bags and gave over £300,000 worth of free time cleaning, sanding, decorating, restoring and building. Multiple organisations gave free or discounted materials and labour, working together to turn this dilapidated building into a safe and welcoming space!
With the help of grants and donations, the team transformed 422 Community Hub into a thriving community space providing a cafe, spaces to hire and a variety of free programmes designed to boost wellbeing, build community and tackle poverty. The Leader of Manchester City Council, Cllr Bev Craig officially opened 422 Community Hub in May 2023, with a ribbon cutting ceremony and family fun day! 422's impact and scope is growing, come and see us to find out more!
