Seeking Creators for Legacies of Enslavement Walking Routes

A new collaboration between The Scott Trust’s Legacies of Enslavement (LoE) programme and Greater Manchester Moving (GM Moving) will see the creation of four heritage walking and wheeling routes across the city region for the 2026 GM Walking Festival.

The LoE programme, launched in March 2023, is a decade-long restorative justice initiative responding to the Guardian’s historical ties to transatlantic enslavement. Developed in consultation with descendant communities in the US, Jamaica, the UK and beyond, the programme focuses on apology and acknowledgment, truth-seeking, and reparative action. A key strand of the work is building meaningful partnerships in Greater Manchester, where the Guardian was founded, to increase awareness of the region’s connections to enslavement and the slavery economy.

In 2026, GM Moving will partner with The Scott Trust to introduce four new routes for the annual GM Walking Festival, which takes place each May. The festival celebrates the joy and benefits of walking and wheeling, bringing together communities from across the region through free, organised routes designed to promote movement, social connection and a shared sense of place.

Each of the four newly commissioned routes will explore the theme “Heritage in Action,” aligning both with the LoE programme and the festival’s 2026 focus on “Celebrating Connected Communities.” Route creators will receive a £2,000 fee and will be required to activate their walks at least twice during two festival weekends in May. They will also take part in training sessions in February and March covering topics such as interpreting local history, intergenerational engagement, accessibility, technical route design and the social model of disability.

Organisers emphasise that accessibility is central to the project, with routes designed to accommodate a wide range of mobility needs. Audio recordings and written notes will be produced for each walk, ensuring the materials endure as online resources beyond the festival.

The Scott Trust says the commission reflects its responsibility to raise awareness of Greater Manchester’s historical links to enslavement. Manchester’s growth as the world’s first industrial city was built on the cotton trade, and funds connected to that trade were used by the Guardian’s founders to establish the newspaper. The legacy of movement, protest and collective action runs deep in the region—from the Suffragettes and Peterloo protesters to Black Lives Matter marches and annual celebrations like the Caribbean Carnival and the Manchester Parade.

GM Moving, a charity dedicated to improving lives through physical activity, says the collaboration aligns with its mission to tackle inequalities in movement and promote healthier, more connected communities.

Expressions of interest are now open for individuals or groups wishing to develop one of the four routes. Applicants do not need prior experience in route creation or involvement in walking groups. Submissions—up to three A4 pages or a three-minute audio file—should address themes including heritage, community connection, route length, location, and the applicant’s relationship with walking or wheeling. Availability for compulsory workshops between 9 February and 31 March must also be provided.

The deadline for applications is 8am on 8 January, with expressions of interest to be sent to legacies@guardian.co.uk.

Three online Q&A sessions will be held for prospective applicants on:

• Monday 1 December, 12–1pm
• Friday 5 December, 8–9am
• Thursday 11 December, 6–7pm

Organisers encourage anyone interested to get in touch with questions ahead of the deadline.