Member Article

Future of £5m clocktower project in good health thanks to medical manufacturer

THE future of a major clock tower redevelopment is in good health thanks to the generosity of a global manufacturing company.

A significant community grant from Convatec - the FTSE 100 medical products and solutions business which employee hundreds of people in Deeside - helped the team at the Grade II-listed John Summers Clock Tower make steady progress over past months as part of their ‘Forever Caring’ month initiative.

Enbarr Foundation Director Vicki Roskams and fellow ‘Guardians’ of the beloved landmark have been working on the £5.2m project and she says the cash injection has been pivotal since the new year.

“The clocktower redevelopment is all about teamwork, so we can’t thank Convatec enough for stepping up at a critical time with their kind donation,” said Vicki.

“The funding has allowed us to complete the windows on the basement floor and paid for vital materials and labour so we could make progress over the winter.

“From the bottom of our hearts we are so very grateful and will ensure – with your help – this is a facility that will have a positive impact on the community for generations to come.”

In addition to teams of trades working on the basement level of the dilapidated structure, Painting and Decorating and Construction learners from Coleg Cambria Deeside were tasked with stripping walls, painting, and other preparation.

The grant also paid for representatives from local organisations to learn employability skills, nature and heritage visits for local school pupils, attracted more volunteers and created two new rooms, further opening up the space for use by charity and community groups.

The Clock Tower building opened in 1907 and was home to the general office of Shotton Steelworks – now Tata Steel - on the banks of the River Dee, before closing in 2009 and falling into serious disrepair.

Plans for the site include a community hub, heritage skills and training centre, café, library, woodland garden, live events venue and much more.

A spokesperson for Convatec said they were pleased to be able to help play a part in regenerating an important part of the region’s history.

“Convatec has been operating in Wales since 1986 and is committed to investing in the region. Our vision is pioneering trusted medical solutions to improve the lives we touch, and we’re proud of all our people in Wales for the work they do day in, day out to make our vision a reality,” they said.

“Our promise of forever caring extends to the communities in which we operate, and our Forever Caring month initiative is one way we can support our people to give back. We were pleased that they chose the Enbarr Foundation for this endeavour.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin James Williams .