Projects

Middleton and Langley: A Slightly Awkward Split

In the early 1970s, local government decided it was time for a tidy-up. As part of the Local Government Act 1972 (which actually kicked in during 1974), places across the country were reorganised—including Middleton and the Langley Housing Estate.

Langley had already been built by Manchester City Council as an overspill estate, so it had one foot in Manchester from the start. Meanwhile, Middleton found itself placed under Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council when the new boundaries came into force.

The result? Two neighbouring areas, closely linked in real life, quietly managed by different councils. Not quite a dramatic breakup—more like being assigned different group projects and told to get on with it.

Over time, that administrative divide helped shape differences in services and identity, even if, on the ground, the connection never really went away

A reflection of 'who owns Langley' 

Land and rent extraction in a Middleton estate
Who Owns Langley - scan for the digital

Feel Good Family Picnic

We’re going to be at the Feel Good Family Picnic in Middleton and it would be great if you can come & say hello.

The picnic is in Limefield Park on Wednesday 30th July, 12-4.

Here are all the details: https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/feel-good-family-picnic/middleton

Middleton Tenants Union folk will be around to chat with, our Art House team will have creative activities to join in, you can learn more about our community energy work and…

…alongside all this fun stuff we’re also super excited about the announcement of Middleton Development Corporation (MDC) - we’ve got a great chance to shape what will come to Midd and we want to start the conversation with you at the picnic - come and tell us what you’d love to see change/move/shift in our town so that we can all get what we need and enjoy where we live.

Here’s more about the MDC from Rose, Steve and others: https://www.rochdale.gov.uk/news/article/489/middleton-regeneration-takes-major-step-forward

 

Event Date & Time
End Time and Date
Location
Limefield Park, Middleton, Manchester M24 4DZ

Co-op Congress & Co-op News

Co-op Congress & Co-op News

We’ve had a great day at Co-op Congress on 4th/5th July and talked about all the great stuff that some of you have been part of and made happen.

You can watch the session we were part of here. It was a panel of ‘New Pioneers’ sharing some good work that is happening all over Greater Manchester and nationally - our Kal is on from 14:55 & there’s also Grace Blakeley, exciting author who writes about economy, speaking before him + Steve Coogan chats to Grace about why he’s excited about our work too.

 

And if you want to know more, you can also enjoy the conversation of our Mark and Steve with the team at Co-op News, where they both talk more in depth about how things can be shifted so that we all benefit: https://www.thenews.coop/steve-coogan-on-why-he-is-backing-the-middleton-co-operating-project/

Housing Justice

middleton housing justice

We’ve set up Middleton Tenants Union & are working with local people who live in unsafe, unhealthy and insecure private & social tenancies so that everyone can live in healthier homes and can get justice and compensation.

We’ve been working closely with Greater Manchester Tenants Union to challenge the current system of social housing that cares more about profit than people.

Overall, the housing situation in Middleton is becoming more difficult. Prices and rents have been rising fast – beyond what a lot people can afford. There are many fewer homes available for social rent. This is mainly as a result of “right-to-buy”. And the number of homes owned by private landlords continues to increase. Sadly, there is no security in private tenancies, with people at risk of eviction at any time for no reason.

For some home-owners, their houses are valuable assets. But for many people, finding the money to pay their mortgage or their rent is becoming more and more difficult. If they do have to leave their home, finding somewhere else to live can be really hard.

Having a secure and affordable home is fundamental to our well-being and, at Middleton Co-operating, we want this to be the reality for as many people as possible.

Alongside supporting people right now we’re also working towards and dreaming about something beautiful that we could create together instead. 

 We’ve become members of Greater Manchester Community Led Homes network and have been exploring alternatives to the current status quo.

If you’d like to get involved in Middleton Co-operating’s work on community-owned housing, please contact us at housing@middleton.coop

Who We Are

Middleton Community Energy is a local energy group rooted right here in Middleton. We’re community-owned and shaped by the people who live, work, and care about this place. Brought together by Middleton Co-operating, we believe energy should work for communities – not be taken from them.

We're not a big energy firm. We're your neighbours, your community centre volunteers, your school governors. We came together around a shared belief: that clean, renewable energy can – and should – belong to all of us.

Our Vision

We’re here to help create a local energy future that’s democratic, fair, and low carbon. One where local people and places benefit directly from the power we generate – socially, economically, and environmentally.

Our aim is simple: local energy for local people. Not in a top-down way, and not to make a quick buck – but to grow something long-term, rooted in trust, relationships, and care for our place.

We believe in a non-extractive approach – meaning we want to keep the value of local energy right here in our community, rather than it being pulled out for private gain. We work cooperatively, in the open, and with a commitment to community benefit.

What We’re Working On

We’ve been building strong local partnerships and listening. We’re proud of the trust we’ve built and the conversations we’ve started. We’re actively developing projects with the aim of local energy generation – and we’re doing it with care.

Right now, we’re working with local schools, community owned buildings, and grassroots organisations to explore what renewable energy might look like for them – whether through their own solar or wind installations, or by accessing local clean energy via the grid. It’s about raising awareness, building knowledge, and helping people see that this change is possible – and that it belongs to them.

Want to Get Involved?

If you’re part of a community-owned building or site in Middleton – whether a school, community centre, faith group, or local charity and want to explore how you could start your own renewable energy project, we’d love to hear from you.

We’re always up for a chat and happy to share what we’re learning.

Middleton Community Energy

Campaign for a Living Income in Greater Manchester

Everyone deserves to live a life that is about thriving, not just surviving.

In Greater Manchester, people in our communities are worse off than they’ve ever been in our lifetime.

The inadequate social security system sets people up to fail.

For us living in Greater Manchester, we know what we need so that we can have fulfilled lives. 

We have an opportunity to work with Mayor Andy Burnham to establish a Living Income pilot in Greater Manchester.

Join the campaign so that we can get a Living Income pilot up and running here and build a social security system that works for all of us. 

Whoever you are - whether you’re a single parent trying to look after your family, or a family new to the country, struggling to find work or just trying to make ends meet - we need a system that looks after us all. 

A Living Income would give people the financial and employment support they need, when they need it. We are campaigning for this transformative change within our communities. 

Join the campaign:
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/gm-livingincome 

Read about the launch that we had at the Friends Meeting House in Manchester: 

https://www.thenews.coop/campaign-for-living-income-pilot-launches-in-greater-manchester/

And here:

https://themeteor.org/2025/06/09/a-living-income-campaign-has-been-launched-in-greater-manchester-with-mayor-andy-burnhams-support/

Greater Manchester Living Income Logo

Come to the party - AGM 2024

middleton cooperating logo with a disco ball and bunting

We would like to invite you to the party that our AGM (Annual General Meeting) will be on Tuesday 10th September from 5pm at the Edgar Wood School Rooms on Long street in Middleton.

The doors will open at 5pm.

We’ll have vegan finger food and drinks and you will be able to have a look at the exhibition that’s part of the Heritage Open Week in the church.

We’ll start with our programme at 6pm with Garside Kidd Community Centre’s play that will share their journey on coming together and making change happen.

The formal AGM business will start at 6.45pm and will include an update on our thinking about how we do things together well & an invitation to join us on the journey.

Plus we’ll hear what’s been going on in our most active circles and hear from some of our closest partners about how they’re creating beautiful things.

There’ll be plenty of time to connect, chat, ask questions.
We’ll be done by 8pm.

We’d love for you to leave inspired & thinking about what you’d like to be involved in (if anything) and how to do that (across all our circles/themes).

Please tell us if you’re coming by registering on this link: https://tinyurl.com/MIDDCOOPAGM

And if you can share the invitation with others who you think would like to be part of the journey with us that’d be great too.

Any questions - get in touch & we’re really looking forward to seeing you.

the annual general meeting picture with the invitation details


 

Middleton Co-operating Launch Party - 12th April 2024

We’d love to invite you to the Middleton Co-operating Launch Party!

It's time for us to officially launch the movement & celebrate our achievements so far.

We’ve booked Middleton Arena for Friday 12th April from 6pm for an evening of music, connecting & sharing our passion for doing great things with people in Middleton.

We’re got an exciting line up of speakers & performers

Steve Coogan - Andy Burnham - Rose Marley

The Kaiden Nolan Band - Gerry O’Gorman

The Specialist Regiment - The Surellas

We would love for you to join us on Friday 12th, it will be a great space to meet and chat with local folks who are making change happen as well as organisations from around Greater Manchesters who have been our allies.

Book the ticket/s for you & your family/friends/colleagues click on this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/middleton-co-operating-launch-party-tickets-798266475517?aff=oddtdtcreator

For any questions or queries, get in touch via good.things@middleton.coop.

Can't wait to see you there!

Funding for Middleton Cooperating from Lankelly Chase

We're excited and delighted to say that Lankelly Chase, a major national grant-funder, have granted us £100,000 to support our work in Middleton.

Most of this money will go towards employing our first person - a "Development Lead" - who will work alongside our management committee over the next 18 months or so to build on the foundations we have put in place, and help us start to deliver the changes we want to see.

We're hoping they will be in place by the spring/early summer.

It's an exciting opportunity to work in an innovative place-based organisation, aiming to achieve great things.

If you're interested, or if you know someone who might be, please get in touch with us.

Middleton Cooperating Limited

c/o The Lighthouse Project
S6b/c Second Floor
Middleton Shopping Centre
Middleton
M24 4EL

A co-operative society registered with the FCA; number 8582

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