Manchester Libraries in partnership with Withington Walls have produced an exciting new digital educational resource, designed for schools to use with children in Key Stages 2 and 3.
The digital resource presents a curated selection of 100 items from the Marcus Rashford Mural Tributes archive, held at Manchester Central Library, and uses them to reflect on themes such as community action, empathy and the power of the collective.
The resource is primarily designed to be used in class by schools, and in workshop settings by local community groups.
The mural of Marcus Rashford, located in Withington where he lived as a child on the Old Moat Estate, was created by artist AkseP19 and is based on a photograph by Daniel Cheetham.
Crowdfunded and organised by community street art project Withington Walls in 2020, the mural celebrated Marcus Rashford’s campaign against child food poverty which ultimately forced a change in Government policy regarding free school meals for children.
In 2021, following the penalty shootout loss in the UEFA Euro final, the mural was defaced with offensive messages, and England’s black players, including Rashford, faced racist abuse online.
The community in Withington responded by initially covering the vandalism with bin bags and subsequently with heartfelt messages of love and support, which snowballed into thousands of messages from the wider community and a collective demonstration of solidarity and resilience.
This powerful response highlighted the strength of support for Marcus and a united stand against racism and online hate.
The resource is free for all to use and can be accessed at: www.marcusrashfordmural.co.uk
