The Todmorden Industrial and Co-operative Society building on Rochdale road was a former Haberdashery Department built in 1910. The original shop fittings are still present - display cabinets, counters, shelves and ornamental radiators. Peter and Anna Kulufas, a Ukrainian family, ran a General Store at the shop for 25 years (photo circa 1980).
The building is now home to the Kindness Hub. According to Stuart Honor the Hub manager - ‘We were looking round for a new building and this came up. Given the price I thought that’s a lot of building for the money. We bought the building outright 18 months ago. We run drugs and alcohol addiction recovery support services, a café, bar restaurant, shop, well-being sessions, open mic nights, in fact loads of stuff...’
The project offers employment to many former clients of the recovery services.
Michelle Foster, The Basement Recovery Project - ‘I hope people feels that’s it’s a welcoming space where they can feel at home. We have converted the basement into a Wellness Centre a private space with its own access where people can enter and retain their privacy. Many of our former clients are now employed by the project. What I notice is that old buildings like this are solid and last a long time whereas so many council or public buildings seem to have a short lifespan and get knocked down and replaced so quickly…….’
