Archives: Faq

Bridge 5 Mill was established and refurbished by a dedicated group of people who had a vision for a centre in Manchester that could be a hub and resource for groups, organisations and individuals working on environmental and social issues.

The original project was called the Manchester Environmental Resource Centre Initiative (MERCi) and was established in 1996 as an independent charity. MERCi found and purchased Bridge 5 Mill and refurbished it with the help of grants from the European Regional Development Fund, a private trust, The National Lottery Community Fund and the Esme Fairburn Trust, and later the Tudor Trust and Comic Relief.

The mill was refurbished using many reclaimed and recycled materials, eco paints, water saving measures and low energy fittings (and no PVC!). It also involved a range of people with different skills and backgrounds, such as New Deal apprentices from the local community, participants of ‘Building on Equality’ – a green construction course for lone parent women – and many volunteers, all of whom were led by professional craftspeople who shared their knowledge and expertise.

If you want to know more about the venue, please go to bridge5mill.org.uk/about

We’d really like to hear from you

If you have any questions about the Society or would like to send a question for our directors in advance, email [email protected].

We’ll answer some of the most frequently asked questions on the day and will post our responses on the website. Where possible, we’ll reply directly to members before the AGM.

By public transport

Bridge 5 Mill is in the Ancoats district just outside Manchester City Centre. The nearest railway station is Manchester Piccadilly Station (22 mins walk or 7 mins by tram).

It is served well by trams. The nearest tram stop to the venue is Holt Town (4 mins walk) which is two stops from Manchester Piccadilly station.

Bus numbers include: 76, 217, 216, 231

By bike

Secure sheltered bicycle parking available on site. Bikes are left at own risk.
Cycle hire is also available, go to beeactive.tfgm.com/cycle-hire/ to download the app.

By car/taxi

Visitors can be dropped off at the front entrance of the Mill. There is very limited road parking available on nearby streets (Branson Street, Piercy Street and Pollard Street).

To plan your journey visit tfgm.com/plan-a-journey/

Voting is your chance to shape how your Society is run.  Vote in a way that suits you – online, by post, or at our AGM – and the voting process is quick and easy.

As an eligible member, you will have received an AGM voting pack via post or email.  The pack also contains our Annual Review and Notice of AGM which includes information relating to AGM resolutions.

Simply visit ecologyagm23.ukemeet.uk to vote online; or scan the QR code on your paper proxy voting form. Alternatively, you can complete the voting form in your AGM voting pack and post it back to us, free of charge.

This year’s voting will be administered by UK Engage, a leading election services provider.

We’ll donate 50p to environmental charity Trees for Cities for every member who votes online (20p for those voting by post). We’ll also donate £1 to if you choose to go paperless and receive future voting packs by email, which helps reduce our paper use.

Please ensure we receive your vote by 5pm on Wednesday 19 April 2023.

We're owned by our members and put their interests first, so if you're a part of Ecology we want to hear what you think.

Our AGM is your opportunity to:

• Meet the Ecology team and share your views on our work
• Hear from our experts discussing our shared aims of leaving the right kind of footprint together. We look at our common experiences, sustainable lending and agitation for change
• Meet other Ecology members in a friendly environment