Through Their Past Our Future project the young women learnt how to project manage, create story boards, gain skills in creative writing, learn filming, editing and screening.

The end of project celebration of Their Past Our Future Films took place on Friday 16th July 2010.
The 4 short films were created by the young women over a number of weeks using a number of techniques in video and animation. Music for the films was especially composed by freelance musician based in Stretford, Carol Donaldson.

Exploring new ways of keeping fit

With funding from BBC Children in Need we took part in the The ABC of Art Project. This 20 week project enabled the group to participate in a variety of arts & cultural activities that included a variety of activities.

During February we extended the hours of the group as we were joined by Laura Nathan who facilitated some workshops around Freedom and Identity as part of an outreach project relating to Manchester Cathedral’s Anne Frank Exhibition. A exhibition to mark the end of the Freedom and Identity at which many parents, friends and family joined us to celebrate the achievements of the young women.

Pulling Together with funding from The Big Lottery helped to deliver the very successful Wallflower to Wonder Women project. This project has encouraged the participants to improve their health and well-being through a series of activities which included healthy eating recipes and taking regular exercise using traditional methods such as swimming & gym as well as using new technologies such as Wii Fit.

Working with Selina Murphy from Trafford Urban Fitness, the group visited the gym and swimming pool at Stretford Leisure Centre to gain confidence in participating in sports. The series of activities introduced the women to a regime of exercise that they can adopt in their daily lives.

Enjoying exercise

Through visits to Old Trafford Barn activities such as Football, Badminton, Netball and Circuit Training were some of the tasters offered.

At the End of Project Celebration on 18th December 2009, over 50 women had an opportunity to sample some healthy meals’ & drinks’ options, try some Wii Fit activities, sing along with Sing Star and be truly pampered to become Wonder Women.

Healthy food at End of Project celebration

Through this project a free women’s only sports session now takes place each Monday at Old Trafford Barn from 5pm to 6pm and Stretford Leisure Centre have introduced a Ladies Only Gym. Check out the full range of actvities provided by Trafford Leisure Trust www.traffordleisure.co.uk

If anyone is interested in joining us, please e-mail info@pullingtogethergroup.org.uk for more information.

Big Lottery Fund

We were very fortunate that we were amongst the few successful Northwest groups who were successful in securing Community Development Foundation’s - Faith’s in Action grant to deliver a Faiths & Festivals Project. More information will be posted in March.

The group has created their ideal bridal dress using paper and rich fabrics. To compliment the dress they have been creating hair accessories, table decorations and designing cakes which have showed the diversity and creativity of the young women.

Importantly, the group has used Marriage Matters to raise and debate the sometimes difficult issues of forced marriages. One whole session was used to discuss the issues of differentiating between forced and arranged. Quite a lively debate took place and the debate and comments have continued throughout each of the sessions.

The End of Project Celebration took place on Friday 7th August 2009 through which the group displayed their creations for their Ideal Wedding and present their findings on issues surrounding South Asian marriages.

If anyone wants information on forced marriages, please check out www.fco.gov.uk/en/fco-in-action/nationals/forced-marriage-unit/

Quality Standard Funding

Grassroots Grants

My Place project

Through funding from Community Foundation for Greater Manchester’s Trafford Small Grants we began a new project “My Place” led by Renee Lumley and Sarah Jones, a photographer and graphic artist.

Group members had the opportunity to take photos of themselves, each other, personal items, local streets, schools and other things of interest in Old Trafford that have influenced them and helped to define their heritage, culture and who they are becasue of where they live.

Day to day issues such as impact of crime & drugs on communites and the usual issues affecting Asian women were hotly debated while thinking about solutions.

The images were designed into a series of draft postcards by another artist, Monir Ali. From the drafts a series of 4 creative postcards were selected to be printed.  The My Place postcards  will be used to market and promote our website.  Download postcards [pdf 2.2Mb] Or click on the thumbnails below to see the postcard images.

My Place postcard	My Place - Music
My Place - Peace	My Place - Us

A huge celebration event  to mark the end of this project took place on Friday 15th May. However, we also  celebrated a short “Wonder Women” project and a project/exhibition that was undertaken by a small group of the young women as part of The Inspiring Leadership Development Programme.

Pulling Together members have been working on The OT Comic Strip that has been funded by John Grant Davies Trust. The group have been busy taking photographs on the newly acquired Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras to create a series of issue based comics.

We have been very successful in gaining funding from Trafford College’s Neighbourhood Learning Team to purchase photographic and video equipment which is being used with previous resoures to create the OT Comic Strip.

My Place Project

“We were really proud as we raised over £600.00 for Cancer Research”