HSA are excited to have been appointed to design phase 1 of Growing Sudley CiC’s capital project based in Mossley Hill, South Liverpool.  This is the fruition of a long-standing relationship with the site and will see a disused council owned changing room repurposed into a Health and Wellbeing Hub, with the aim of being a carbon neutral building.

Director, Su Stringfellow, originally became involved in the project when the friends group put out a request for volunteers to help transform the Victorian Walled Garden on the site.  In an era of council budget cuts, to secure a long-term sustainable future for this public parkland, Su helped to co-found a social enterprise to deliver activities. Initially, pilot projects were undertaken to test out what might work in the space as well as what appetite the local community had for the idea.  This included targeted sessions for vulnerable adults as well as the Outdoor Club during school holidays for children age 5-11. Now in its 5th year, it has become a firm favourite with local children.

The income generated from these paid activities, such as the holiday club and from the therapy rooms, will be reinvested into providing free activities in the walled garden which support health and wellbeing through nature.  The walled garden design has been developed in conjunction with the community and participants with HSA collaborating with Howard Miller Design to bring to life these suggestions which will begin to be installed towards the end of the year.

The existing configuration of the changing room building is ideal for therapy rooms with minimal structural alterations required.  Following a fabric first approach, as well as the mantra ‘the greenest building is the one that already exists’, HSA are; insulating the building externally, installing a new green roof and growing frame, and using MVHR and air source heat pumps to provide heating and ventilation. Recent workshops with children have helped shape ideas about what the final scheme might look like and explorations for wildlife habitats and community recycling are underway.

For more information on the Sudley Forest School click here.