The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre is an open-access library and archive on race, ethnicity and migration. We are part of the University of Manchester Special Collections, and are situated in the basement of Manchester Central Library. The AIU Education Trust works on behalf of the Centre to deliver anti-racism engagement work. We support schools, communities and the wider public to explore and share their heritage through the co-production of projects, publications, exhibitions and events.

Aratta

This project was coordinated by Zara Hakobyan of Moss View Research with support from the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust and the National Lottery heritage Fund. Over the past 12 months it has collected the stories of Armenians living in North West England, which will form a permanent archive at the Race Relations Resource Centre. The project exhibition was launched at Manchester Central Library on 8 May and was attended by 60 people. The exhibition includes excerpts from oral histories as well as photographic portraits of the speakers. It also features archive images, from the city’s photo collection, of Armenians who lived and worked in the North West over 100 years ago, alongside contextual information about Armenia and its ancient history and culture.

Black History in Stockport

The Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Education Trust recently supported Rising Stars in Stockport to develop a project capturing the stories of African and Caribbean migrants who settled in the borough. The AIUET worked with coordinator Solomon Onaolapo to shape his ideas and develop a programme of engagement activities. We also provided support to write the funding application. Black History in Stockport is the first ever BAME heritage project in this area to receive a grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project officially launched on 14 May and was attended by 30 people including young people from Rising Stars who will work as heritage volunteers, as well as elders from Ebony and Ivory community organisation who will be oral history interviewees.

One such elder, Janet Creese spoke briefly about her life as a nurse and her work in community development, fighting whatever battles she had to, to make life better for those around her. The Lord Mayor spoke about his Irish ancestry and the continuing need to address issues of racism. The project will run until October 2021.