Basic Education Through Storytelling (BEST) Archive

This collection contains paper material consisting of governance, administrative and promotional material of Basic Education Through Storytelling (BEST). It includes a collection of governance records and photographs, as well as material on services, projects and outreach events. These also include reports and other administrative records.

The collection is arranged into four series:

1. Photographs
2. Outreach events and promotional material
3. Governance
4. Event attendee lists

Moss Side Parents Centre and Education Shop

24 hours notice is required to view this collection. Material will then be accessible through Manchester Central Library Search Room, Manchester Central Library, St. Peters Square, Manchester, M2 5PD. To access this collection please contact: rrarchive@manchester.ac.uk

Basic Education Through Storytelling (BEST) was a project, set up in Manchester from 1984 that encouraged parents to read to their children and return to education. The project loaned books that where anti-racist, anti-sexist, and anti-classist in nature. A small selection of the book where in Urdu for adults, along with bi-lingual children?s stories in English and languages such as Urdu, Bengali, Hindi, Guajarati, Greek, Turkish, Gaelic and others. The project also provided up-to-date leaflets with information of local classes for adults.

The project was based initially at the Greenheys Centre in the Moss Side area, however they did move to Moseley Road Centre in Fallowfield while repairs were carried out to the building at Greenheys Centre.

Part of the project was a mobile resource, the Storybus, which parked at a number of locations in Manchester including: Hulme, Moss Side, Rusholme, and Longsight on a weekly basis. The aim was to reach people who did not generally have access to resources that the Storybus and its workers could offer.

BEST also worked with unsupported voluntary groups such as the Creole Creche, Bangladeshi Women?s Group, and the Hulme Girls? Project. Many other local groups also made use of the Project?s resources, as well as the homeless community.