Staff at the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre (AIUC) have said thank you and farewell to Jackie Ould, their long-standing Education Co-ordinator and (latterly) Co-director, who retired in August.

Jackie has been involved in the organisation since its inception. She assisted Professor Lou Kushnick in establishing the open access library on race and multiculturalism at the University back in 1998, and as a Black achievement and EAL (English as additional language) teacher for Manchester City Council, could immediately see the educational potential of the library.

Over two decades she shaped the AIUC’s education and community outreach programme, which has included publishing over 30 books on black achievements and experiences in partnership with local schools, and supporting numerous heritage projects to preserve the multicultural history of Manchester.

In recent years as Co-director Jackie oversaw a period of complex change, as the AIUC became part of the University of Manchester Library and moved to a new location at Manchester Central Library, as part of the Archives+ partnership.

In her farewell speech, Jackie reiterated the three things that have driven her career:

1. That all children should see themselves represented in the books they read.
2. That everybody should learn a diverse history.
3. That we must fight fascism.

These principles will remain central to the work of the AIUC.