Salford fans of Dolly Parton have recalled the moment they presented the country singer with a bag of Eccles cakes before her 2017 show at the AO Arena, following news of her death at the age of 80 after a brief battle with cancer.
Audrey Othick, Jo Jordan, Jo Foreman and Joanne Snee handed the currant-filled pastries to Dolly's security team before meeting the star backstage. The quartet, who represented the Salford contingent of her Imagination Library, were delighted to find her as charming as they had expected.
A memorable meeting
“We had just seconds with Dolly but it was lovely,” Salford Imagination Library founder Audrey told the Manchester Evening News at the time. “She seems such a lovely, genuine person and she was very friendly.”
“She was very petite with a tiny, tiny waist and I know because I put my arm around her. She saw us and said ‘oh my, a group of cowgirls’.”
“Our gift to Dolly was a bag of 12 Eccles cakes, a recipe and a note explaining the history of the cake. Gifts have to be security checked first so we had to hand them to security to be given to her later. Hopefully Dolly and her crew will be enjoying them on tour.”
Philanthropic legacy
Though she was a Grammy-winning, Oscar, Golden Globe and Tony Award-nominated star, Parton is perhaps best known globally for her philanthropic work. She donated $1m to the university which helped develop the Moderna Covid vaccine, invested royalties earned from Whitney Houston's cover of I Will Always Love You into an office complex in a Black neighbourhood in Nashville, and raised funds for HIV/Aids research.
But perhaps most impactful was the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, said to be inspired by her own illiterate father. The programme, which began in 1995, has given more than 300 million books to children in need across the globe, including in Salford.
Imagination Library in Salford
The programme is devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children, regardless of the family's income. Each child is posted an age-appropriate book each month from birth until they reach five. The books are specially wrapped and addressed to the child and delivered, at no cost to the family. When children turn five, they receive a graduation book and a special letter to mark the end of the scheme.
Last year, Salford children helped local councillors to launch a Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at Little Hulton Library. Salford council's children's service's lead Jim Cammell said the scheme is “particularly important as there continues to be a gap in Salford's outcomes compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels”.
Meg Fletcher, regional director at The Dollywood Foundation from Dolly Parton Imagination Library, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Salford City Council to reach even more children in the community. We're building on a strong history of programmes in the city thanks to the tireless efforts of our champions and hope that families enjoy receiving the books each month.”
The council's Starting Life Well service, which works with all early years settings and schools, and the 0 to 19 years team in Little Hulton will promote and support the programme. Little Hulton Family Hub staff will be promoting the scheme and also using the books in their sessions with families.
Currently there are seven Dolly Parton Imagination Libraries based within Salford, operated through various community organisations such as schools and charities. Salford is the 18th most deprived area in the country. Figures from 2022 and 2023 have shown that children's starting points from early years have been below national average and by the time the children leave primary school Key Stage 2 outcomes are below national levels.
Families with babies born in Little Hulton in 2024 or 2025 can enrol by emailing West.Locality@salford.gov.uk for more information.
