H - Shipley Sustainable Community Hub

Above: Draft view of the new Shipley Sustainable Community Hub.

Above: works now well underway at the Kirkgate building.

Value

£2.51m

Purpose

The Sustainable Community Hub project involves the renovations of the Kirkgate Centre building, an historic building based in the heart of Shipley, that needs significant structural refurbishment to enable the building to continue to serve the community for many years to come.

This hub will provide our town with a place to meet, gather, and connect with one another in a safe environment. The project will be a community resource delivering volunteering opportunities, upskilling, reducing isolation, improving wellbeing, holding social community events alongside targeted access to specialist creative facilities and equipment.

Objectives

• The creation of an 833 sqm sustainable community space with 14,000kg per annum of carbon savings.
• An increase in number of new activities and services.
• An increase in new learners and users.
• An increase in the number of voluntary and work experience opportunities
• An increased access to arts, culture and skills opportunities.
• An increase in town centre footfall.
• An improved perception of place.
• An increased sense of local community.

Position up to February 2024

Contractors are on site and the project is on track to be delivered by July 2024. Site visit conducted with board members on the 11 December 2023 with work well underway to restore and renovate the building. This includes work on building new entrances, an extension as well as access lifts that connect The Kirkgate Centre to the Hive and vice versa. They were also successful in acquiring £300,000 of funding through the Community Ownership Fund, whilst The Hive successfully bid for £250,000 of BD25 City of Culture grants.

Project sponsor

The Kirkgate Centre

Further information

For further information on this project contact Ravinder.Panesar@bradford.gov.uk.