Building a New Start
Our brief:
Liverpool charity, The Basement, which aims to eradicate homelessness in the city, has helped thousands of people since its doors opened in 2000.
Growing economic problems across the North West meant the charity was struggling to meet demand for its services and needed a larger home so it could provide refuge to as many as 40 rough sleepers a night.
With funding from supporters including Martin Ainscough, a philanthropist who built Ainscough Crane Hire into the UK’s largest crane hire company, The Basement was able to find a new home. But the three-storey building on Parr Street needed a complete refurbishment.
How we inspired:
We wanted to create a design that maximised the space, enabling The Basement to have treatment and counselling rooms for the those who are suffering from mental health issues, drink and drug problems.
For the first time, the charity can offer space to external services that support its users including the Lighthouse Project and the NHS.
We also built fully-equipped kitchens and bathrooms where people can take a shower and cook their own food.
Moving into the new premises means that The Basement will be able to offer courses in-house for the first time. By offering its own programme of education from cookery to computer skills and reading and writing, the charity will be able to fit training around the needs of those using the drop-in.
Our client’s view:
Carol Hamlett, manager of The Basement, said:
“We’ve never been able to offer our own training, but that will now change. The people we help are so excluded that the education system doesn’t fit them. Our aim is to enable people and give them the skills to look after themselves.
There are a lot of people in need in Liverpool and by having our new home we can help more of them to be rehabilitated, get off the streets and put an end to the loneliness they face.”
Martin Ainscough, who is one of the donors for the project, added:
“The facilities that The Basement provides are even more essential today as we face harsh economic circumstances and homelessness could be on the increase.
The much larger Parr Street Basement Centre offers much more support for the homeless and disadvantaged people of Liverpool and this new centre ensures the survival of the service for many years to come.”
