We Love Eccles: Community art brings colour to town

Delivered in partnership with creative producers Wild in Art, the project features bespoke artwork from local schools, community groups and artists, celebrating Eccles as regeneration work progresses.

Participants include pupils from St Andrew’s CE Primary and St Patrick’s RC High School, youth from The Castle Community Centre, the Talk About It Mate peer support group, and members of Salford Heart Care’s Healthy Heart Group. Each group collaborated with professional artists to reflect what they love about Eccles - from local landmarks to personal memories.

Highlights include a community mosaic referencing Eccles Market and the town’s coat of arms, and a colourful doodle map created by young people. The artworks are displayed on hoardings surrounding areas undergoing demolition, including parts of the shopping centre and multi-storey car park.

Deputy City Mayor and Lead Member for Finance, Support Services and Regeneration, Councillor Jack Youd said:

“It is wonderful to see this bright colourful celebration of community pride, We Love Eccles, on display in the heart of the town centre as we embark on this period of major change.

“Local people overwhelmingly told us they wanted to see bold changes in the town centre. The demolition and redevelopment of Eccles Shopping Centre and the disused multi-storey car park were viewed as a priority. The demolition will give us an opportunity to create a more vibrant town centre that meets the needs of existing residents as well as attracting new people to contribute to the future for Eccles!”

Councillor Hannah Robinson-Smith, Lead Member for Culture, Heritage, Equalities, Sports and Leisure said:

“It’s great to see local people’s affection for Eccles generating such incredible creativity, and the resulting art being produced at such a large scale - it’s going to bring a vibrant splash of colour to the area as this major change takes place.

“In the meantime, I would encourage people to continue to support local businesses in the rest of the town centre, as well as enjoying the striking We Love Eccles artworks.”

The first phase of demolition is already underway and will complete by the end of 2025. The rest of Eccles town centre, including Church Street and The Mall, remains open as usual.

This work is supported by £5.4 million from the UK Government’s Capital Regeneration Project, which enabled Salford City Council to purchase and begin redeveloping the site.