Rise Up: A Celebration That Told the Monastery Trust’s 30-Year Story
There are moments that become part of a place’s story. To mark the 30th anniversary of The Monastery Manchester, the Great Nave welcomed a full house for Rise Up. This one-off performance celebrated the remarkable transformation of one of Manchester’s most treasured historic buildings. A Story Told Through Music Created especially for the anniversary, Rise […]
The Monastery Becomes Manchester’s First Level 3 Trauma Responsive Organisation
We’re delighted to announce that The Monastery Manchester has become the first organisation in Manchester to achieve Level 3 Trauma Responsive accreditation through Manchester City Council’s Trauma Responsive Manchester programme. While the title may sound a little technical, the idea behind it is beautifully simple. What Does Trauma Responsive Mean? At its heart, being trauma […]
30 Years of Transformation: The Monastery Manchester Marks Milestone Year with Industry Recognition
2026 will be a landmark year for The Monastery Manchester, as the charitable trust that saved it from ruin celebrates its 30th anniversary. That’s three decades of regeneration, community impact and the careful restoration of one of the city’s most remarkable heritage venues. The Monastery was originally a 19th century Franciscan friary designed by E.W. […]
The Monastery Wins Leading Live Event Venue at the 2025 This Is Manchester Awards
The Monastery has officially been crowned Leading Live Event Venue at the prestigious This Is Manchester Awards 2025! In a glittering ceremony held at The Point, Lancashire Cricket Club, our beloved Monastery stood tall among some of the region’s biggest names in hospitality, live entertainment, fashion, tech and community impact. Hosted by television personalities Jenny […]
Re-Greening the Monastery: A Community Gardening Project Rooted in Heritage
In the shadow of The Monastery’s soaring stone arches and sacred silence, something vibrant is stirring in the soil. Over the past few months, our Green Team, Men’s Shed, and volunteer gardeners have been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly!) transforming our outdoor spaces into lush, productive, and joy-filled gardens. What began as a simple […]
Securing the Future: Heritage Funding to Celebrate 30 Years of The Monastery
£249,650 Grant Awarded to the Monastery 26/07/2025 There’s a deep stillness to summer at the Monastery – the kind that allows for both reflection and quiet celebration. This year, that stillness carries something new: a sense of joyful momentum. We’re delighted to share that The Monastery has been awarded a transformational £249,650 grant from The […]
Growing Together: A Greener Future at the Monastery
There’s something truly inspiring about watching life bloom in unexpected places. Here at the Monastery, our re-greening project is blossoming into something extraordinary. Thanks to the passionate efforts of our Men’s Shed volunteers, the green team, and the incredible support of the Greater Manchester Environment Fund (GMEF) and Groundwork Manchester, our historic site is being […]
Gorton Monastery’s Senior Tour Guide, Grahame Birtles, Shortlisted for the Heritage Hero Awards
The Monastery is proud to announce that long-standing volunteer and Senior Tour Guide, Grahame Birtles, has been shortlisted for the Heritage Hero Awards—a prestigious recognition of individuals who go above and beyond to protect and promote the UK’s heritage. A Passionate Storyteller and Dedicated Volunteer As a key figure in Gorton Monastery’s visitor experience, Grahame […]
Monastery Launches Green Spaces Project After Successful Funding Bid
The Monastery is delighted to announce a successful funding bid in the fifth round of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s Green Spaces Fund. This bold re-greening project will bring the community together and encourage local residents to get involved in nature recovery, from volunteering opportunities and building green skills, to learning how to grow our […]
Monastery Launches NEW Integrative, Holistic Health Conference
The Monastery is proud to announce our first ever holistic health conference here in Manchester, focusing on alternative pathways to health and wellbeing using a range of integrative approaches. The date for your diary is 9am – 4.30pm on Friday, 5th July, 2024 Wellness hub The Monastery is a community wellness hub; home to a […]
Greater Manchester Becomes the UK’s First Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia Hosted by Manchester Camerata
The Monastery is very proud to announce that Greater Manchester is to become the UK’s first Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia hosted by Manchester Camerata, based here at the Monastery. The UK’s ‘most adventurous orchestra’ are incredibly grateful to have been awarded over £1 million through the Power of Music Fund (established by […]
Monastery Memories Project Now Launched
The Monastery Memories Project has now launched, with the aim of collecting memories of the Monastery, from people who remember the building from years gone by, as well as memories of the surrounding area. Do you, or someone you know, remember the Monastery while it was still a Franciscan church, school and friary, or other […]
Celebrating the Super Listeners Who Quietly & Humbly Transform Lives
Words | Dr Jeannine Goh 5-minute read It’s a typical rainy day in Manchester, the type of grey skies that lean heavy on your mood, and that incessant rain that makes leaving the warm, cosy house so hard. The Monastery is opening up to the public for the day. A candle is lit (as it […]
National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant Awarded to Gorton Monastery
The Monastery of St Francis & Gorton Trust has been awarded a £232,000 Heritage Resilience grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund so that the Trust can continue to develop and deliver its important charitable work in the community. This exciting project, Unlocking the Social & Cultural Capital of the Monastery, will include plans to […]
Is Science Finally Accepting The Extraordinary? | Dr. Jeannine Goh
“The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence.” – Nikola Tesla Have you ever had an experience that blew your mind and shook your reality? Have you had an experience that made you question all that you knew? […]
Omicron Update | Events Policy & Exemptions
The latest wave of Covid19 in the shape of the Omicron variant has seen the UK government increase some restrictions in hospitality venues to try & curb the spread of infection. Here’s what you need to know if you’re visiting the Monastery for an event in the run-up to Christmas 2021, or during January 2022. […]
TRUST: The Story of Gorton Monastery by Elaine Griffiths OBE
Subject: Victorian Manchester; Manchester architecture; Manchester history; Manchester heritage; well-being; Franciscan history. First edition, hardback, Monastery Publications, 1 December 2021, 176 pages & 304 images. ISBN 978-0-9571484-6-8 A history of the restoration of Manchester Monastery When Elaine Griffiths stepped over crumbling masonry into the derelict nave in 1996, she was overcome with the power of […]
Music Matters | BBC Radio 3 interviews Manchester Camerata & Elaine Griffiths
BBC Radio 3’s Music Matters have broadcasted a beautiful feature all about Manchester Camerata’s move to The Monastery and how they are making a difference to our local community of Gorton. Tom Service speaks to local Councillor Julie Reid, HideOut Youth Zone’s CEO Adam Farricker, and Elaine Griffiths, OBE, chief executive of The Monastery about the positive […]
Our Magnificent Monastery Wins Best Manchester Venue 2021!
We’re absolutely thrilled to report that The Monastery just won the title of Best Manchester Venue 2021 in the County Brides North West Wedding Awards! The prestigious, annual award ceremony was held at The Mere Golf Resort and Spa on Thursday 21st October 2021 and as we at the Monastery accepted our award, we couldn’t have […]
A Compassionate Approach to Mental Health in Manchester is Here
LAUNCH: The Sanctuary of Peace & Healing (SOPH) at Manchester Monastery LIFTING THE SPIRITS OF THE CITY It is with great joy that we announce the launch of an innovative urban retreat, spearheading a compassionate and conscious approach to mental health in Manchester at our brand new Sanctuary of Peace and Healing (SOPH). Manchester’s modern-day Monastery […]