Barbara and the Creative Living Centre
Barbara and the Creative Living Centre were a perfect match. For her the Centre provided an ideal anchor for her work following her retirement from Bury College in 1996 and she brought to it a commitment and a range of skills which proved invaluable for the development of the Centre. Barbara’s prior experience working with people with emotional and learning difficulties gave her a clear understanding of its vision and values as well as the personal skills to relate to its members. Her qualification as a massage therapist gave her a ‘hands-on’ role with them, further extended as she learnt new therapies and later took on exercise classes for wellbeing.
From her previous roles, she also had an abundance of local contacts' an understanding of funding systems and many of the administrative skills needed to make the CLC effective. She offered these freely: heling to write or improve bids, suggest ways forward and overcome barriers to development..
In 2017 at the twentieth anniversary of its establishment, Barbara gave a speech about the origin and history of the Centre. This is a still picture of the occasion. The link takes you to the first few minutes of the speech. Extracts from later in this speech form part of this account.:
…maybe 1994 – 95 when I was working in Bury College, Sarah Berry…came and talked to quite a few people in the education world and …said people have been getting together who are service users who have mental health problems and they are not altogether happy with the service they are getting from the NHS. So they then had an idea about what it was they really wanted and in fact from that point on it began to be created.
Barbara explained what the 'service users' wanted:
… the vision that the people who were suffering from mental health problems … had was that there should be a space with music, with plants, with friendly people, with stories, everything that was creative that allowed people to support each other without necessarily drugs and all the rest of it. And, in fact, what was created was the most amazing space.
THE ORIGINAL BUILDING
The Centre was first located on the entrance road to Prestwich Hospital which also acts as the administrative centre for The Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Trust. The site and its grounds were spacious and fitted well with the CLC’s ethos.
The Centre where we used to be … was a beautiful building which was improved and improved and improved by the members, the volunteers and staff and also the funding that we got …in particular the garden was an amazing place …They looked at the site and found the energies within it …. ley lines across England and north and south .. meet in the centre which then became the centre of the circle of stones that we had and the flow of water through just meant it was an incredibly special space.
The Centre minimised the distinction between staff, volunteers and 'clients': all were 'members' engaged in mutual support. This approach tied in with Barbara's own values. Here was something to participate in giving a more sociable context for her new therapeutic career than private massage practice. At first the management of the centre was informal:
[It] was largely initiated by therapists in the first instance through MIND and then from just one member of staff …who started the whole thing off and gradually people started coming in and we got money bit by bit by bit until obviously we’re still going twenty years on.
Though she was aware of the Creative Living Centre when it was first set up, she was not active in the group that initiated it. I am not certain when exactly she started working at the Centre as a therapist. I believe the ‘member of staff’ (Abbie Richardson – an acupuncture practitioner) was already in post so a lot of the preliminary work had already been done. The premises had been secured, funds had been raised and a worker had been appointed. She attributed the continuation and success of the Centre to the approach that came out of its belief in co-operation and mutual support
So the immediate and apparent success of our innovative way of working with people …. creative art, painting, music, gardening, complementary therapies and self-help strategies in groups as well to help people help themselves as well as helping other people as well and this allowed the Centre to grow from one member of staff up to as many as 8.
Barbara was happy to do anything she could to protect and promote the Centre. My impression from talking to Abbie is that the ‘group of therapists’ were able to make decisions informally. Unsurprisingly, given her past experience, Barbara’s contributions were particularly valuable because of the range of skills and the network of contacts she brought.
Whatever changes were later made to its structure, its success always depended on continuing the ways of working it had initiated. Whatever else she was doing, Barbara always took part in the daily life of the Centre. She continued to offer massage and make herself available for events to promote the Centre, as with the Open Day pictured below. Cath Tributsch was involved with the Centre from the 1990s, at various times a volunteer and a member and she became a personal friend. This is her tribute:
I first met her in the late 90s at the CLC where I was a volunteer.
It was a real ace place to mend severed nerves and get better from emotional distress. …
As an individual, I loved Barbara for her upfrontedness, honesty, tenderness and support to those like me in need. Her exercise classes for well-being were legendary.
I would like to finish by saying that she would be so proud of today’s CLC.
So much of what is brilliant there is down to her commitment, hard work and sensitivity to those who require support.
Here Barbara is offering hand massage to visitors on an Open Days whilst Cath Tributsch is behind her giving a back massage:
This constant ‘hands on’ participation gave her an understanding of the Centre’s work and earned her respect from members and status amongst newcomers when she became formally involved in the administration of the Centre.
As the Centre grew and required more funding, it had to adopt a more formal structure. In September 1997 it became a charitable company, recognised by Company House and the Charity Commission. Given her level of expertise, it is likely Barbara was involved in the paperwork and negotiations to bring this about. It is striking therefore that she did not put herself forward to be a Director/Trustee in 1997. I believe she was available to proof read or draft documents or suggest contacts. Even without a formal role, she acted as a custodian of its values, fixer and wise woman to assist, support and advise others. She was, however, determined that it should continue and willing to get more directly involved if she felt that was necessary.
She first became a Director/Trustee in October 2000. A few months later in February 2001 she became Company Secretary. She resigned from this role in October 2004 and resigned as a Director in January 2008. I have the impression that she acted as Chair of Trustees for some of this period after her resignation as Company Secretary. Around 2007/2008 there was a funding crisis that threatened the continuation of the Centre, as Barbara recalled in her talk in 2017:
At various points we have had a lot of funding and at various other points we haven’t. The success of the work is confirmed by the sad point that we came to a particular point when we had to get rid of staff (about 10 years ago) we had no staff and in fact, ... a group of Trustees managed to keep the place going through managing it and eventually we got some money and we were resurrected in terms of security
This new funding turned a crisis into an important positive turning point in the history of the Centre. Manager Liz and Support worker Shelley were appointed around this time. Both were still in post at the time of the twentieth anniversary. Liz was unwell for some time and died around 2017. Shelley still works in the Centre. The Board of Trustees was strengthened as Barbara drew on contacts elsewhere to draw in well-qualified new trustees. Shelley paid this tribute:
Barbara was an incredible human being.
I came to the CLC on a placement and met Barbara when the centre was being run by volunteers. She became a trustee and then the chair of trustees. She did my interview that led me to becoming a member of staff. She was always thinking of others. She was devoted to helping and finding ways to help others find their path through life. A wonderful person who will be greatly missed and always remembered.
Maura was a Trustee for a number of years. She was Chair of Trustees at the time there was no funding (around 2007). Sadly, she passed away in January 2026. She paid this tribute in 2025:
Barbara was an incredible part of CLC helping so many improve their lives
In a later period Barbara brought in Ken Barnsley as a Trustee and a Chair of Trustees. This is his tribute:
Barbara was great to me always and particularly when I was Chair at the Creative Living Centre. I’ll always recall her North East brogue and the wonderful care she took during her healing massages.
This photo shows a group of Trustees in the original premises of the Creative Living Centre:
The Centre’s success depended on the continued support of outside bodies, as Barbara emphasised in her speech in 2017:
… we have been really fortunate right from the beginning of having a grant from the government via the PCT as it was then to keep it going and recently it’s changed now it’s the CCG is different. We now have a service level agreement with them and it’s the reason why we have been able to move and why we continue to be here and that we hope will continue.
They certainly seem to be happy with what we are doing in that they keep renewing the grant so let’s hope that continues to be the case and I think we can prove that we do help people because the number of people who have come through our centre and who have become trustees or who have become volunteers just gives evidence of the support we can give and the confidence we can give people to cope with what often is very difficult situations for them.
Jane Wild was another Trustee brought in by Barbara who became a close friend:
A key part we played in each other’s lives was in 2011 when she recruited me to become a Trustee with the Creative Living Centre. She thought I would be useful. We worked closely together her as Chair and me as Secretary, until she retired from the Trustees in 2018. These were exciting times as we managed to increase staff numbers, widen the remit of CLC and move to another building.
Barbara was respected by all who became involved in CLC, including Members, fellow Trustees, Staff and Volunteers. She will be missed by all who were privileged to work alongside her.
Queen's Garden Party
Alongside this practical support, the Centre also won ceremonial recognition in 2015 via the Queen’s Award for voluntary service designed to recognise exceptional work done by volunteer groups in the community and described as the highest accolade a voluntary group can receive. Barbara and manager Liz attended a Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on 28th May. It was a good day out, though they never got anywhere near the Queen.
A couple of months later there was a Ceremony at Gorton Monastery where the Queen’s representative, the Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester presented the award to two volunteers in a ceremony at Gorton Monastery.
MOVING TO A NEW BUILDING
The photo shows a group of people involved in the new centre in the new building. Barbara and Shelley are in the front to the right and manager Liz is behind Barbara and to the left.
It is clear that the NHS Mental Health Trust placed less value on the Centre and its work. As more administrative staff moved into their estate and new buildings sprang up they evicted the Centre from their land, knocked the building down and replaced it with car parking. This was another existential threat to the Centre leading to another demonstration of Barbara’s energy and commitment to the Centre. She helped find new premises, negotiate the lease on these and manage the refurbishment of the building. She even found alternative rooms for temporary hire to keep some activities running when neither building was available. Despite everyone’s efforts, such disruption inevitably led to the loss of some members and the need to build up the membership again and make members comfortable In their new home.
The new building has far less green space around it and a much less attractive entrance. It is on two floors. Its great advantage is its location right next to Prestwich Tram Station and across the road from the Longfield Precinct. Its café and communal space is a much smaller room on the first floor. There are other rooms for treatments, craft activities and counselling.
By 2018, aged 72, Barbara reluctantly began to accept that she had to become less active. She retired as a Trustee and withdrew from nearly all activities in the Centre. Around Easter 2019 she also retired as a massage therapist a couple of weeks before the Covid lockdown. However, when volunteer Jon set up set up exercise classes he turned to Barbara for advice and support and encouraged her to deliver her signature classes remotely. Here is his tribute:
I met Barbara as she wanted to help in the Pain group that I had started, she had ran one previously and her endless knowledge and enthusiasm for helping people really shone through and made the group what it is today. We have so many resources that I use for the group and for any other members struggling with pain. I learned so much from Barbara and will always remember her kindness.
Lorna was Operations Manager for the Centre in 2024 and 2025 and paid this tribute after Barbara's death:
Barbara was integral to the Creative Living Centre journey. Although I never had the opportunity to meet her, I have spoken with staff and volunteers and have been told of her contributions, strength of character, and kindness to others. Her support of the CLC and its commitment to empowering others with mental health and wellbeing challenges in a holistic and person-centre way meant that we have been able to continue this work for over 28 years. … she has left a legacy of care in her wake
in 2022, the Creative Living Centre celebrated its 25 year anniversary. Barbara reached out with the following message
I am so sorry I could not get to the centre yesterday. It sounds as though it went really well – and I just wanted to say congratulations for all your work in the centre and for the celebration. I will say more when I can think straight but I just wanted to acknowledge you all. Please pass on my congratulations and very best wishes for the future to everyone, and to those new in post who I don’t really know. I hope to visit before too long to say hello in person.
Unfortunately Barbara was not able to visit the centre in person and passed away in December 2024.
Lorna added
At Barbara's funeral, the nominated charity was the Creative Living Centre. A total of £986 which has supported ongoing activities at the Creative Living Centre.
As a meaningful tribute to Barbara, the Creative Living Centre team including the Board of Trustees thought it would be appropriate to have an annual volunteering award called the ‘Barbara Heron Volunteer’ award. This will mean that Barbara’s name and legacy will continue into the future and forever be linked to the CLC and will form part of the annual volunteer week celebrations.