St John’s Centre, Old Trafford

About us

St John’s Centre Mission Statement

“St John’s Centre, Old Trafford, is an independent, community based, voluntary organisation. Through education and recreation we seek to:

  • Promote good relations within our diverse community;

  • Give individuals the opportunity to realise their full potential; and

  • Meet the needs of the present and create a sustainable resource for the future.

What do we do?

Course Participants

Course Participants

The aim of St John’s Centre is to enrich the quality of life for people living in Old Trafford - especially for those who are marginalised and disadvantaged in any way.

We enable people to work together with local authorities, voluntary and other organisations, in a common effort to increase inclusion and cohesion. In this way the community are better able to meet their needs and to participate more fully in society.

The Centre promotes the advancement of education, training or retraining based on the particular needs of this community, and provides facilities in the interests of social welfare for recreation and leisure.

To do this, we provide a range of activities including
  • Courses: Computing, Basic Skills (Maths, English and ESOL – English for speakers of other languages), Crafts, Citizenship, and many more;
  • Health related activities: Ladies keep fit, Belly Dancing, and healthy eating sessions;
  • opportunities for volunteering; and
  • activities for children and families during school holiday periods.

    • Our History

    25-year celebration

    25-year celebration

    The Centre Project was started in 1982 by St John’s Church in response to the Moss Side riots . A handful of volunteers opened the hall for unemployed people to come and share their skills, enabling them to gain confidence, feel valued and meet with others in a similar situation – in many ways similar to how the project works now.

    We were successful in securing Urban Aid funding for 5 years, to employ a full-time Project Co-ordinator. This later became two part time Co-ordinators with an Assistant/Caretaker.

    Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council has funded the Centre from 1988 to the present, and this grant is being used mainly for salaries and some overheads. Although we now offer some accredited courses and use paid tutors, we still have a very strong voluntary ethos to which we are committed, as we feel it is an important part of the project.

    The capacity of the project was built after securing ERDF funding in 2002, and since then we have undertaken management of the Old Trafford News Project. The Project has attracted many more volunteers who have all gained skills and training, and some have gained employment. OTN is now looking towards becoming sustainable in its own right.

    Annual Reports

    AGM Report 2012 [pdf 1.7MB]

    AGM Report 2010 [pdf 656kB]

    AGM Report 2009 [pdf 614kB]

    AGM Report 2008 [pdf 504kB]

    AGM Report 2007 [pdf 1.5MB]

    AGM Report 2006 [pdf 154kB]

    AGM Report 2005 [pdf 140kB]

    AGM Report 2004 [pdf 63kB]