In 2019, Nelson Town Council and volunteers Kevin and Gary Webb, applied for funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to celebrate the work of local suffragist and founder member of the Independent Labour Party, Selina Cooper. From the age of 13 Selina worked in the mills, and became part of the struggle for workers rights and representation, health care and education. She worked locally, nationally and internationally.

In 1907 Selina and other members of the Independent Labour Party raised the funds to buy land on Vernon Street and build a Socialist Institute, a place for meetings, lectures, entertainment and education, with a lecture hall, reading room, meeting rooms, kitchen, bath and assembly room. The building was full every night of the week.

Gary Loftus of Brierfield was able to re create the original stained glass windows.

We recreated the Reading Room with a supply of relevant books and an archive.

The location for the Unity Wellbeing Centre is shown on the map below. For Sat Nav users, the address is Vernon Street, Nelson, Post code BB9 9DE.