Liverpool based firm appointed on Hugh Baird Colleges’ £3m Health, Engagement and Training Hub
Liverpool based Crossfield Construction, have been appointed as the lead contractor by Hugh Baird College on their pioneering new £3m Health, Engagement and Training Hub project.
Liverpool based Crossfield Construction, have been appointed as the lead contractor by Hugh Baird College on their pioneering new £3m Health, Engagement and Training Hub project.
The scheme, located on Oriel Road in Bootle, will see the existing St Winefride’s Church brought back to life for the benefit of students and the wider local community.
The extensive refurbishment of the main church will transform it to become a training academy and base for Levels 1 to 6 Health and Social Care training delivered in partnership with Mersey Care. A new Life Rooms will also be built on the footprint of the current presbytery, delivering courses on practical life skills and offering a hub for all members of the local community.
The project was awarded a grant for the project by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, who committed nearly £9m to support skills and leaning opportunities for communities across Liverpool.
Both venues will be centres for learning, recovery, health and wellbeing and are committed to working with the local community to provide the services people want and need.
Construction work will commence on site at the end of February 2018, with the new Health, Engagement and Training Hub planned to be fully operational for Autumn 2018.
The project will see two of the College’s ex-students return as Crossfield employees to deliver the scheme. Operations Director; John Paul Cassidy and Contracts Manager; Scott Sherwood were both Construction students at Hugh Baird College more than fifteen years ago.
Engagement with the College’s immediate local community and the wider Liverpool City Region is a key driver of the project for Crossfield Construction, with a wide range of enrichment activities and initiatives planned over the course of the construction project including; The employment of a full time apprentice who will be recruited from Hugh Baird College’s Construction course area; continuous student engagement activities throughout the pre-construction and construction phase including work experience, work shadowing, careers advice and guidance and a ‘Women in to Construction’ scheme.
In addition to benefits for Hugh Baird College students, Crossfield also promise to exclusively use Liverpool City Region based suppliers and sub-contractors and the firm also hope to carry out many smaller community projects for the benefit of the Bootle area.
David Cain, Crossfield Construction Director, said:
We are thrilled to have been appointed on this project for Hugh Baird College. Not only is it wonderful to see the College working collaboratively with the Mersey Care NHS to provide exceptional learning environments for its students, but it’s our engagement with the students and the community we are particularly excited about.
Bootle is a community close to the heart of Crossfield and our employees and we want to ensure this project benefits the surrounding economy by employing a fully local supply chain and carrying out community projects. Our engagement with the College will ensure we use the project as a live learning tool providing maximum benefit and real-life experience for the students.
Yana Williams, Hugh Baird College Principal and Chief Executive, said:
These are exciting times at Hugh Baird College and we’re delighted to be working in partnership with Crossfield Construction on this important local redevelopment project.
When we were looking for a lead contractor for the project we undertook a thorough and rigorous tendering process. Crossfield Construction stood out for us because of their deep links with Liverpool and in particular the Bootle area. They also secured the contract because of the outstanding additional experiences they have committed to providing our students.”
The creation of the Health, Engagement and Training Hub doesn’t just benefit the students of Hugh Baird College. It will have a far wider reach. The new centre will provide a community resource that is open to all who feel ready to take those important first steps to wellbeing."
The redevelopment of the St Winefride’s Church will also bring back to life an important community venue and will provide vital life changing services and welcoming shared spaces for the benefit of the people of Bootle.”
