Look at what we have done with the grant money we received!
In April 2024 we were lucky enough to hear from Lancaster City Council that we had received the full amount of grant funding we applied for from the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). We had until the 31st March 2024 to complete the project and we had big plans for the Mill.
There have been many things which we have wanted to do to the building in recent years, things which our members have requested, our employees have wanted and we had drawn up a 5 year plan to ensure that we can complete these jobs.
With the receipt of the grant we were able to fast track these jobs and positively improve not only he physical building, but also the user experience and the value which our tenants receive from our space.
We are excited to share photographs of our transformations, but do come on down to Halton Mill to see it all for yourself!
The carpark spaces were resurfaced and pot holes in the track were filled. This was one of the most desired improvements by all of our users. The work also meant that the track was widened following removal of all of the overgrowth along the edge, resulting in a much more useable carpark.
Possibly the most important, but less dramatic of the improvements was the structural work to the old steels which were holding up this part of the building. Over time there had been movement lines showing on the render the receipt of the REPF grant meant that we could get this job completed promptly. Local building firm Baldwin's worked to make this area safe, and helped to ensure that the new steels will last for many more years to come!
Our Art Lab has been a well used space, by a variety of groups, but was beginning to look tired and uninviting, the work to the external wall has meant any damp will now not impact the space, and the space is now brighter, cleaner and more flexible for all groups who use the space.
Possibly our most dramatic transformation! I'd forgotten what the old floor looked like, but wow! The floor in The Atrium no longer detracts from our beautiful events, the space is safer, easier to clean and more inviting for a wide variety of events and users. Plus its perfect for our lunchtime Table Tennis players!
Even the sky improved in our 'after' pictures! & what a difference this has made! We wanted our entrance and the stone steps to be attractive, safe and inviting & I think we have achieved that. Our entrance now looks like an entrance and now we look like an active and welcoming local venue for all of our users and visitors!
We needed the entrance to be an entrance. Somewhere to 'arrive' when you find us, our staircase makeover, new signage, repaint of the woodwork and some flowers has made all the difference. Our new signage has be described as 'classy' & people are loving the changing shadows the letters cast during the different time of day!
We finally have a sign to be proud of! No way you're going to miss us now! Massive thanks to Signs Express Lancaster for amazing customer service & help along the decision making process.
Goodbye sink - Hello actual entrance & welcoming space. Hopefully you will now feel like you have arrived when you get to the Mill. Find somewhere to wait, details of what's on, help on who to contact and where to find us. The walls have been dampproofed and cladded in recycled wood, we have a new floor, and space to visit if you want to know more about what is happening here & how you can join us.
As you can imagine in a building the age of our building, which was once derelict there were lots of small jobs to the exterior of our building, that don't look too impressive, but have massively improved the longevity of our exterior, and improve the guttering and efficiency of the windows etc. Thanks to Chris and Ian for your patience whilst completed these jobs.
Who wants to arrive and see bins? No-one. So now we have some great new bin stores, and even better one day we hope for them to be moved away from the front of our building to a new home, but for now the bins are secure and tidy.
Thank you for being invested in our transformation journey! If you would like to find out more or follow our future please contact us or follow along on social media.
A massive thank you for the team at Lancaster City Council for the help and advice during this whole project. Here's to a positive future for Halton Mill and all of our users!
Interested in hosting an event at The Mill?
If we don’t have what you want currently available, we’ll try to work some magic and find space for you, or put you on our waiting list.
