Our Heritage
The Downham Banner was made in 1885 to commemorate the Centenary of the Downham Benevolent Society. The banner, which is made of silk with a painted panel of the Good Samaritan and a text from the bible parable, was designed to be used in parades. The banner has not been used for a century and has deteriorated. This project will involve urgent repair work to the banner which will be undertaken by skilled conservation experts at the People’s History Museum, Manchester.
The project will carry out further research into the banner, the Benevolent Society movement in the local area by working with other History Groups and Bowland Forest AONB Project. Once conservation has been undertaken the plan is to present the banner to The Museum of Lancashire, Preston, where it will be displayed for educational purposes as part of their collection.
Content will be created for an interactive display panel at The Museum of Lancashire, and it's five local hubs. A website will also be developed to assist in the understanding of the banner, Benevolent Societies and the self-help movement more generally.