Clare Cummings writes about a community festival in the Medlock Valley that highlighted the value of collaboration between local communities, environmental groups, and university researchers in protecting urban green spaces.

On 6^th June, the SCI supported the Friends of Medlock Valley (FOMV) and the University’s Climate and Justice group to organise the Medlock Valley Community Festival, a community celebration of the beautiful urban green space. For those who haven’t yet ventured to this hidden valley just north of Piccadilly Station, entering the Medlock Valley is a surprise. Huge trees line one side of the Valley, with the river Medlock flowing through the middle, swathes of meadow grass, a history trail and sculptures by a local artist all make this is an incredible place for people and nature. Since 2021, the Friends of Medlock Valley have worked hard to turn this forgotten area into a thriving space for wildlife and for the local community to enjoy.  

To encourage people to discover the Medlock Valley and learn more about how to protect it, FOMV and Climate and Justice organised an afternoon of entertainment and conversation. This small community festival brought together local families and neighbours, fellow green space campaigners Save Ryebank Fields, Friends of the Irk Valley and Sandhills Association and Easy Come, Easy Grow Manchester, as well as several local councillors, to share ideas for how they can defend green spaces in Manchester. Discussions involving the University of Manchester researchers Clare Cummings (SCI), Sarah O’Brien (Social Anthropology), David Bailey (SALC) and Alexander Newell (Environmental Science) raised ideas for documenting the area’s biodiversity, gathering people’s visions for the future of the Medlock Valley and ways that groups can generate local political support for their work. Meanwhile, music from Ruff Trade, Daniel Clarke and Matt Hibbert, a book reading by Manchester historian Hannah Priest, a comedy set by James Crook, and Easy Come, Easy Grow’s pedal-powered orange juicing brought the valley alive.  

By creating opportunities for stronger relationships between communities and researchers, the University of Manchester’s work to support sustainability, nature and wellbeing can better resonate with local priorities. And so, with new connections made and good times shared, plans for the next Medlock Valley gathering are already underway. 

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