Work is under way on a project to take community ownership of an iconic Plymouth building, thanks to collaboration between three organisations.
Nudge Community Builders hopes to breathe new life into the building, following a £600,000 joint investment from social impact investor Resonance and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Construction has started on work to turn the Union Street building into community spaces for young people and the wider community, including a music venue, workshops and a café bar.
“We couldn’t wait to bring this special building back into use after it had stood empty for 17 years,” said Nuge co-founder and co-director Hannah Sloggett. “We can now move forward with confidence and look forward to the journey to bring this building back into use for lasting local benefit.”
The Millennium Building started life as a cinema in 1931 and was later turned into a nightclub, before its closure in the early 2000s. It stood empty for 17 years before Nudge purchased 50% of the building, thanks to investments of over £350,000 from the Rank Foundation and 491 community shareholders, and a partnership with Eat Work Art.
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The latest phase has seen a joint investment of £600,000 from Resonance and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, to purchase the remaining 50% of the building, and a £480,000 grant from the Youth Investment Fund to support internal works.
“Resonance and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation are delighted to partner in a joint investment into Nudge, supporting efforts to bring this iconic building into community ownership,” said Resonance investment manager Tom Crook. “We are a huge supporter of Nudge and the work they are doing in Plymouth.”
Nudge, a charitable community benefit society, was set up in 2017 by Plymouth residents Hannah Sloggett and Wendy Hart. They had been volunteering in their community for over 10 years and kickstarted the Union Street Party, created Union Corner and were asked by the community to do more about the empty buildings.
Within the first five years, Nudge unlocked 25% of the empty buildings along Union Street and now offers spaces for local people to grow across five previously derelict sites.
Resonance Community Developers is designed to support communities as they create and own assets that meet local needs and help to build community cohesion, by investing in community-led affordable homes and facilities that benefit the whole community.
The fund typically invests in affordable homes, sports and leisure facilities, low-carbon and renewable energy generation and other community assets.
Founded in 1961, Esmée Fairbairn is one of the UK’s largest independent funders. It aims to “improve the natural world, secure a fairer future and strengthen the bonds in communities in the UK”.
