Opportunity for volunteers to get involved with the restoration of Rochdale Town Hall

Residents of the borough are being given a new chance to get involved in the restoration of Rochdale Town Hall.

As part of the work already underway, local people are being offered the opportunity to work on the ceiling in the Grade I-listed building’s Great Hall.

The work involves removing layers of varnish and dirt on hundreds of painted ceiling panels to bring them back to their original state.

This will mean being able to work at height as the conservation team, headed up by Hirst Conservation, use scaffolding to reach the boards.

 

 

Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for economy and regeneration, said: “This is a great opening for local people who want to participate in the restoration of our Grade I-listed building.

“It will give people the chance to say they were part of the work to return the town hall to being fit for generations to come.

“Volunteers are so vital to the work we are doing, we couldn’t complete it without them and the value of volunteers cannot be underestimated.”

Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn more about the building and conservation of plaster supports, as well as experiencing working on a live building site as part of a large team as further work is started.

 

 

Karen Morrissey, conservation manager at Hirst Conservation, said: “We’re very excited to be embarking on the conservation of the Great Hall ceiling, as well as stone cleaning to the great stairs.

“Initial cleaning trials on the painted ceiling have shown that, by removing years of dirt and discoloured varnishes, we will transform its appearance. This will be a wonderful opportunity for all involved.”

This latest chance to have a role is part of a wider restoration of the town hall being supported by Rochdale Council, Rochdale Development Agency and The National Lottery Heritage Fund who have provided £8.9m funding towards the project.

The deadline for registering your interest is Thursday 30 June with site induction on Tuesday 5 July. If you want to apply please email victoria.hilton@rochdale.gov.uk.

There is no set time period for volunteers to commit to for this work; organsiers say that volunteers can work on a schedule that suits them from one half day session a week up to two days per week.
 

Read more: How Rochdale’s ‘gothic masterpiece’ town hall is being restored to its full gloryPublished: 03 May 2022