Leeds Civic Trust visit Shine

Source: Leeds Civic Trust newletter/ August 2010

A SHINING EXAMPLE
What do you do with a Victorian school which has been closed for twenty years and is not in the best of condition? Turn it into a state-of-the-art business hub, of course! But, as some thirty-five Trust members and visitors found on our recent visit to Harehills, it’s not quite as easy as it sounds.

We started our visit at SHINE, the former Gipton Primary School and later Harehills Middle School, where we were delighted to see Mrs Irene Revie, who had been a pupil at the school in the 1930s, and was able to remember what it was like before its recent conversion. Some of her reminiscences will feature in next month’s Newsletter. The school was opened in 1897 and remained in use until 1986, when it was closed and left derelict. Among other things, the school introduced dance classes into the curriculum under Nadine Senior, which helped to spawn pioneering companies Phoenix Dance and Northern Contemporary Dance.
Dawn O’Keefe, Chief Executive of SHINE, then told us about recent developments. In 2005 Camberwell, a small social enterprise consultancy committed to helping to regenerate deprived areas such as Harehills by supporting the development of local entrepreneurs, saw the old school and realised its potential to provide a focus for their work. They bought the building, which was in an advanced state of decay and had been threatened with demolition a few years earlier, from the Council for £150,000 and set about the major task of converting it into the state of the art centre it now is. The work cost some £4.5 million, from a mix of grant funding and loans, and was not without its problems; for example when wet and dry rot were found to be more extensive than had originally been believed. However they persevered and the building opened in September 2008.
SHINE now houses a gym, serviced offices used by a range of charities and businesses, conference and meeting rooms, and, at its heart, a hot-desking hub providing business facilities for local entrepreneurs who want to hire space for meetings or other business activities but don’t need a permanent base. They also
support a School for Social Entrepreneurs and provide space for art exhibitions and other cultural activities in the area, including managing and co-ordinating the Harehills Festival. Importantly they look to use over 90% of their profits to support entrepreneurs in deprived areas of the city. Future plans include a café and garden and they are also hoping to involve a wider range of local organisations in the company so that it is seen as genuinely representative of the community, as well as looking at the scope for replicating the SHINE concept elsewhere in Leeds and further afield.
As we toured the building we couldn’t help but be impressed by the quality of the design and the attention to detail in the refurbishment. There is a feeling of light and space throughout, with wonderful views over the city, and a palpable concern to create an environment which is both attractive and something local people can be proud of. The central area on the first floor, in particular, blends elements of the old building with new design in a way which is both aesthetically pleasing and fit for purpose. We can only hope it goes from strength to strength and is recognised as the asset to the area that it clearly is.

Martin Staniforth, Chair, Activities Committee

Leeds CIVIC Trust

www.leedscivictrust.org.uk