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Mention Allan Grafton in footballing circles, around Manchester, and you will turn people’s heads immediately. Mention Allan Grafton in Gorton Manchester and you will be greeted by lots of people saying, ‘Oh Allan Grafton, great bloke, he’s a friend of mine!”

Footballers in all corners of Manchester will state how much Allan Grafton helped them in some way. We put on an annual football night every year, for the last few years, and special guests appear such as, Peter Barnes, Tommy Booth, Trevor Ross, Ella Toone, Les Chapman and Joe Bunney completely free of charge. They come to support the Willow Wood Hospice but the real catalyst for their appearance is Allan Grafton. They know him and respect him.

Allan Grafton is on, or has been on, a raft of committees in Gorton, in East Manchester. He chaired groups such as the Friends of Debdale Park, Friends of Gorton Cemetery, Gorton All Together and the Gorton Events committee. He was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2006 in recognition of his efforts and he was further rewarded by being appointed as one of the High Sheriff’s Commissioners the Queens representative in the region.

Dad-of-three Allan, who also has three grandchildren, became Manchester FA director and has been at the heart of grassroots football in Manchester for over 50 years, and was awarded an MBE in 2006 for his unstinting work in football and in the community. Royal mail Darts Association Chair.

This year(2024), Manchester FA have a brand new award, which is being dedicated to Allan Grafton and his work to Grassroots Football. Congratulations to 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐲 of Abraham Moss Warriors JFC, our winner of the first 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐁𝐄 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝

Whilst attending his parents grave thirty years ago, Allan Grafton decided that his local cemetery in Gorton was in a terrible shape and the old church was becoming a danger to children and animals. Here’s what he did about it.

Allan remarks: “There was no point moaning about it. I thought, let’s try and form a small committee and see what we can do.” And so he did, forming Friends of Gorton Cemetery Gorton All Together, who got to work transforming the cemetery and removing the disused church. Local pubs and clubs in the area helped to fundraise the money needed for work, which was added to thanks to a grant from the council. Green thumbed residents volunteered their time and put the hard work in – bringing brushes and shovels, getting stuck in on the project.

After completion, the cemetery was awarded the Green Flag in 2012, the international quality mark for parks and green spaces, managed by Keep Britain Tidy. Alan added: “We turned it into a lovely garden where people can sit and reflect. The same people that objected to it actually said that I did a fantastic job in the end.”

Impressed by the efforts, the council asked Allan to speak at meeting Blackley Cemetery to encourage other areas to follow suit. Allan said: “I never thought that me, a lad from Gorton, would be at the front talking to everyone like that. It really came home to me.”

Thanks to his encouragement and the dedication of hundreds of other local people, four cemeteries in Manchester have now received the Green Flag Award.

Green Flag Award Scheme Manager Paul Todd said:“I would like to congratulate everyone involved in making all these sites in Manchester worthy of a Green Flag Award.”

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Denise Butterell is an impressive individual with a rich and impactful life. Let’s explore some key aspects of her journey:

Background and Career:

· Denise Butterell has dedicated her life to making a difference in her community. Her work spans various domains, including management, youth leadership provision, and community development.

· Despite challenging circumstances, such as working in areas of deprivation and with limited resources, Denise’s passion and determination have allowed her to achieve remarkable results.

Family and Legacy:

· As a mother of four wonderful sons and a grandmother to three girls, Denise’s family ties are strong and meaningful.

· She holds a special place in the hearts of many within the Woods extended families. Her impact extends beyond her immediate family, touching the lives of those around her.

Notable Achievements:

· One significant achievement associated with Denise is her involvement in a Big Lottery Funding bid for the Kimberworth Park isolation project in Yorkshire. This project received nearly £500,000 to help vulnerable people stay in their own homes.

· Additionally, Denise’s work has contributed to the success of various community initiatives, including a loneliness support group in Rotherham and a project aimed at improving ex-offenders’ job prospects in Leeds.

Denise’s story exemplifies resilience, compassion, and the power of community-driven efforts. Her impact continues to resonate with those she has touched throughout her fascinating life.

Denise Butterell in conversation with Chris Smith. This is a series of interviews of significant lives captured and shared.

If you have any suggestions or feedback, please contact me at smithowls@gmail.com

All recordings and music used here are covered by Performing Rights Society certification and are not for reproduction.

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Paul Anthony Jones spent the first part of his working life as a Catholic Priest where he worked tirelessly with deprived communities starting Youth Clubs and supporting socially and economically disadvantaged people across the areas where he worked.

Upon leaving the ministry he made a career change to focus on social work and especially on financially disadvantaged communities. He became a lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University where his publications and lectures gained him an international reputation particularly in the field of Credit Unions and financial inclusion, which has been his passion for decades. He isn’t only an excellent academic, but he has consistently worked at the grassroots with a number of different Credit Unions, including the one I was instrumental in setting up in Huyton, Merseyside, which he carefully steered into becoming a very successful financial institution for many people excluded from normal financial services.

Paul has a wonderful ability to work alongside people experiencing financial stress and gently support the long and patient process of working together to form a Credit Union that would in time bring innumerable benefits to those volunteering as well as to their wider community. He is also recognised widely among the academic community for his robust analysis and research directed at financial inclusion and how this social blight might be tackled. He speaks from practice – which isn’t always the case in academia.

Paul is someone who has worked ceaselessly for decades committed to alleviating financial hardship for no other reason than a profound commitment to some of the poorest people in our society and knowing he can make a difference with the insights, experience and expertise he brings to the issue.