One of a row of Victorian houses along Winchester Road, 21 Winchester Road has been a residence, a pub, a hotel and a squat. Its history of social activism and local involvement continues to this day, whilst the shape and form of the challenges faced by our immediate area and wider society continue to evolve. As times have changed, so has wear and tear on the building taken its toll, whilst important new legislation and thinking around the various functions and attributes of community spaces has fed into a need to look at a fundamental reconfiguration of the building, which will:

• repair the external shell of the building, including the roof
• apply comprehensive changes to fully modernise the building
• install a lift and ensure disability access throughout the premises
• improve the facilities and space available to children and young people, in consultation with our Play, Sport and Youth departments
• incorporate environmental changes to minimise our carbon footprint and waste
• provide facilities for training, eco-education, co-production and conferences
• renovate, reconfigure, repair and redecorate the building internally
• build in the possibility for new initiatives, including social enterprise

The refurbishment of 21 Winchester Road presents us with the challenge to create a space which can better serve our work with children and young people, benefit the wider community, function sustainably and bring different people together. Although enormous, this challenge is an extraordinary opportunity to not only refurbish our premises, but capitalise on our potential, capacity and history of service as we consider how best we can use and improve our space and facilities. We are delighted to report that we are working with award-winning ‘The Glasshouse’ as we consult children, young people, businesse, statutory and voluntary sector organisations and seek to ensure our refurbishment is as innovative and responsive to the here and now as it can be.