The Gamble Building (formerly Gamble Institute) was originally built as a library and technical school in 1896 to support the advancement of technical and scientific skills among the local population through the provision of a free library and technical school. Until 2017 the building housed St Helens Council staff and archives in addition to social care and support services, as well as the Central Library, when it closed due to concerns relating to its condition.
Town Centre Youth Facilities
The specification for the proposed Youth Facility could comprise in the order of 500 sqm of accommodation within the building as part of a wider cultural and community hub which forms the “Living Room” of St Helens. This will also include the return of the Library and Archive along with a community café and lettable business space. Youth facilities could include a flexible function space, dedicated activity pods (for example for music and gaming) alongside smaller breakout spaces.
While it is envisaged that project will primarily provide open access to facilities for young people, offering a warm and welcoming space in the Town Centre, it will also support targeted interventions by Children’s Services and other partners. This could include signposting to education or other opportunities, as well as accessing support around health and wellbeing issues. Proposals for the wider support activities and associated resourcing are at an early stage of development and the project manager will focus upon developing a clear plan in consultation with other stakeholders within the St Helens Place partnership.
The project has an available budget of £3.374 million, based on £1.3 million of Towns Fund and an existing allocation of £2.074 million of capital funding from St Helens Council.
The Council have appointed Faithful + Gould to lead a Multi-Disciplinary Consultant team to deliver the next stages of design work on the project (to RIBA Stages 2 and 3). Their work will provide detailed input with respect to a range of technical disciplines including:
- Project Management & Contract Administration
- Cost Consultancy
- Architecture
- Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Public Health, Structures & Civils)
- Sustainability Consultancy
- Fire Consultancy
- Access Consultancy, and
- Principal Designer
The repurposed Gamble Building will combine the youth facilities alongside being a place where people can come at any time of the day to meet, work, socialise, learn, and experience. It will offer a range of fixed and flexible activities, anchored by the return of the library and archive.
