Preserving the story of Gorton Central
Gorton Central is more than a building. From its early life as Johnstone’s Paints to its transformation into Gorton Community Centre, it has been part of everyday life in Gorton and Abbey Hey for generations.
Through our new project “Gorton Together”, we are capturing the memories, photographs, documents and stories that show how local people shaped this place: from factory work and industrial change to resident-led action, volunteering and community power.
From paint factory to community hub
From 1917, the building was the head office of Johnstone’s Paints, with manufacturing spaces, tin-filling production lines, warehouses and offices. Many local families still remember relatives who worked there in industrial, manual and clerical roles.
Like much of industrial Manchester, the site brought jobs and opportunity, but it also affected the surrounding neighbourhood. Residents remember the smells of paint and varnish, vehicle traffic, storage leaks and the 1968 fire that sent paint and water into nearby gardens. In 1974, concerns about traffic came to a head when a group of mothers living on Wistaria Road staged a three-day protest over the number of tankers, articulated vehicles and delivery vans using the street, putting up a barricade of kitchen chairs to prevent access to the site.
By the 1970s, Gorton was changing. Large factories were closing, terraced streets were being demolished and jobs were moving out of the area. When Johnstone’s Paints left the Highmead Street site in 1975, the building’s future was uncertain.
A story of resident-led action
In the years that followed, local residents helped save the building and turn it into Gorton Community Centre. Managed by an evolving committee of residents and volunteers, the centre became a place where people could meet, organise, learn, celebrate and support one another. In 2023, Healthy Me Healthy Communities took on the building as part of a 25-year asset transfer from Manchester City Council. Renamed Gorton Central, the building continues to be a site of local leadership, active citizenship and neighbourhood pride.
For more than 50 years, the centre has reflected the changing needs, strengths and ambitions of the community around it. Gorton Together will help protect that history, making sure the voices and experiences of local people are heard, valued and shared for future generations.
About Gorton Together
Supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Manchester Libraries and Archive Service, Gorton Together is a two-year heritage project led by Healthy Me Healthy Communities. The project will collect oral histories, photographs, documents and artefacts connected to Gorton Community Centre, creating a record of working- class heritage, community organising and pride in place.
We want to hear from former workers, residents, volunteers, committee members, community groups and anyone with a connection to the building or the wider Gorton Central story.
Get Involved
If you have memories, photographs, documents or objects linked to Johnstone’s Paints or Gorton Community Centre, we would love to hear from you. You can also get involved as a volunteer to help record, research and share local stories.
To find out more, please contact Amanda at
amanda@hmhc.co.uk
