ST. MODWEN ANNOUNCED AS CORPORATE SPONSOR FOR WARTH HERITAGE PROJECT IN BURY

ST. MODWEN is lending its support as corporate sponsor to a World War II project which focuses on the internment of thousands of innocent men in Bury.

The Warth Mills Internment Camp Project will see the creation of a brand new digital archive and events programme, which is running through the Summer.

The project will tell the story of Warth Mills and its internees, including Italians who had resided in Britain for decades and German Jews who had fled Nazi death camps. Public opinion against blanket internment began to shift with the sinking of the SS Arandora Star, when hundreds of men who had been brought from Bury drowned on the way to Canada on July 2, 1940 after the boat was torpedoed.

St. Modwen agreed to sponsor the project, which is led by Unity House, and donated £6,450 following its commitment to the investment and regeneration of two sites in Bury – Warth Business Park and Chamberhall Business Park.

St. Modwen owns Warth Mills, which is part of the wider Warth Business Park.

Alastair Budd, Director of Asset Management – North for St. Modwen, said: “Warth Mills is located within Warth Business Park and when we heard about this heritage project we were keen to get involved and lend our support.
“It’s fascinating to think of the history linked with this site and its association with the internees who stayed here. St. Modwen is committed to investing in Bury at both Warth Mills Business Park and Chamberhall Business Park, and we are pleased to be supporting a local charity with this project.
“We understand that regeneration goes beyond bricks and mortar, it’s about making positive and genuine changes to communities, the environment and the economy.”

Richard Shaw, from Unity House, said: “We are delighted that St. Modwen is supporting the Warth Mills Internment Camp Project. The funding will be a welcome addition to the £64,500 we received from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
“The money will be put towards many of the events we are planning throughout the summer, including the launch event, a pop-up art exhibition and the Warth Mills Internment Camp Project exhibition.”

Warth Business Park is set to undergo a multi-million investment programme by St. Modwen in the near future to regenerate the 14.3-acre site. Warth is the largest single-ownership industrial estate in Bury and comprises industrial and office space, a business centre, self-storage and storage compounds, and an onsite café.

For the full programme of events for the Warth Mills Internment Camp Project visit the website www.warthmillsproject.com/events/.