We've written a letter to the Co-op on the Picture House (Funeralcare) site sale.

The letter has now gone to the chair of the Co-op, Allan Leighton, the chief executive, Steve Murrells and the president of the National Members' Council, Nick Crofts. It was signed by almost 600 people including Jeff Smith MP, local councillors and local community groups and traders.

Thanks to everyone who signed. You can still show your support by adding your name as a supporter now. This all helps make it clear just how much support there is in the community.

Background

The Co-op is currently considering a bid led by the Chorlton Community Land Trust to buy the site that includes the former Gaumont cinema.

For the last few years this has been a Co-op funeral home. When it was a cinema, the Bee Gees famously first performed there, in public, as children.

The Co-op will be deciding soon whether to accept the community-led bid. The Community Land Trust says this is on a knife edge. If the bid falls through then the Co-op could sell to a developer that would raze the site to build expensive flats.

The community-led bid would create a shared asset for the community, including a food-hall with space for events and to attract Bee Gees fans.

Community Land Trust vision for the Picture House

That's why we decided at a Let's Reimagine Our Chorlton call that we should write a letter to the Co-op that everyone can sign, urging them to accept the community-led bid, or at least not to consider any bid that would destroy this valuable community asset.

You can read the letter here.

We're encouraging everyone who cares about keeping this asset for the community to add their names. Just click on the button below and complete the short form.

Add your name

Let's Reimagine Our Chorlton

Thanks to everyone who has joined in the "Let's Reimagine Our Chorlton" videocalls.

Not only do we now have lots of ideas and energy, some real things have come about because people have picked them up and made them happen:

• The Our Green Chorlton group has organised a fantastic leaflet delivered free to homes across Chorlton.
• We sent a letter to the chair of the Co-op about the Funeralcare building, signed by 600 people and organisations.

A reminder that we've got five main themes:

• Building on the success of Chorlton Connectors
• Using cooperative models to create employment and improve Chorlton
• Reimagining travel in and around Chorlton
• Communicating and sharing what's happening
• Green spaces and the environment

If you'd like to carry on or join the conversations, the next call is:

Sunday 9 May 4pm - 5pm

How to join call

Bee Gees Chorlton Picture House story

A clip from 'This is Your Life' 1991.

Thanks to Hazel Gibb for finding this.

Here the Bee Gees talk about their first performance in front of an audience - at the Gaumont picture house here in Chorlton.

Chorlton Remembers 2020

A community building together

see the video about remembering how Chorlton pulled together during the lockdown

Chorlton Bike Deliveries

Local cyclists have come together to create a new delivery service supporting vulnerable people.

They are building a new bike delivery service working with traders like Unicorn and Chorlton Cheese Mongers. By arrangement with local Co-op stores they are taking surplus but still-good produce to Emmeline's Pantry, and the Co-op has paid for new hi-vis jackets.

Read our page about the project here.

Visit the Chorlton Bike Deliveries site here