Second chance to see 'The Rochdale Pioneers' on screen

Taking a break from filming: Brent Snape, John Henshaw, John Montegrande (co-director of “The Rochdale Pioneers”) and Ian Jenkins

There is a second opportunity to see “The Rochdale Pioneers” movie at a special screening in Rochdale later this month.

The showing is to be hosted by The Co-operative’s North West Membership Team and coincides with the arrival in Rochdale of The Co-operative Revolution Street Gallery – a giant, open air, gallery of photographs which brings to life the history, scope and impact of co-operative’s worldwide.

The screening of the film - which was produced by The Co-operative British Youth Film Academy and saw established actors John Henshaw, “Looking for Eric”; “Born and Bred”, and John McArdle, of “Brookside” fame, work alongside members of the Rochdale community - is to be held at Touchstones, Rochdale, on Tuesday 16 April.

The event starts at 6:30pm and is to be followed by a guided tour of the Street Gallery, whose three metre high images remain on public display in The Butts, Rochdale, until 28 April.

Madhusudhan Roy, The Co-operative’s Membership Officer for the North West, said: “The film is a remarkable story of 28 men whose vision for a better social order saw them overcome a backdrop of poverty, prejudice and harsh working conditions to form the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers in 1844.

“This inspirational story of the birth of modern co-operatives - which grew from humble beginnings into a worldwide movement with an estimated one billion members today - is just as relevant now as it was almost 170 years ago.”

The film was made to mark the United Nations International Year of Co-operatives and reached a national audience when it formed part of Film4’s British Connection Season last November. Members of the community are being encouraged to register early for the free screening.