Member Article

Future High Streets Funding bringing new facilities to Victoria Hall

Sheffield’s historic Victoria Hall has been awarded a £650,000 Future High Streets Fund grant that will help increase accessibility and improve facilities for visitors.

The iconic Grade II Listed Norfolk Street building is managed by The Foundry Sheffield, a small charitable organisation charged with the task of running the imposing building effectively, safely and in the interests of all tenants, users and visitors and with the ultimate aim of improving the lives of people throughout the city.

By welcoming so many different organisations and charities, the Victoria Hall is becoming a true community hub for the whole of Sheffield and a major supporter of the many different facets of city life.

The £650,000 Future High Streets Fund grant, which has now been approved by Sheffield Council, will see the installation of new lifts, giving better access to the main hall and all other areas of the building.

There will also be new bathroom and kitchen facilities and investment in new frontages for the hall’s shops on Chapel Walk.

“We are delighted that Sheffield Council has recognised the important role the Victoria Hall has to play in the future of the city centre,” said Foundry Sheffield Chief Executive Rose Durant.

“This funding is intended specifically to increase footfall into the city and revitalise under-used spaces.

“As we continue to develop our reputation as a prime space for conferences, concerts and other events, this level of investment in the future can only help us to make even stronger our position as a major city centre space and one that really is welcoming to all people.”

Charities working out of the centre’s range of offices include Age Active, Assist and City of Sanctuary, who work mainly around supporting vulnerable and needy people in Sheffield and the surrounding areas.

Independent Training Services - which is part of Barnsley College - has teamed-up with Manchester-based The Growth Company to expand the reach of its popular new pre-employment training courses and selected the The Foundry’s excellent facilities as its Sheffield base.

The Sunday Centre provides food and support to the city’s homeless communities on a Sunday afternoon and the hall is also used by many other charitable organisations offering a wide variety of activities, classes and social opportunities.

The main hall has always been a popular venue for choral, instrumental and other events and South Yorkshire’s finest amateur orchestra, The Sheffield Philharmonic, holds its weekly rehearsals and the majority of its concert season performances there.

A growing programme of concerts and events is now restoring the Victoria Hall’s reputation as one of the city’s most vital and diverse performance spaces.

Well known too as the home of Methodism in the city since the early years of the 20th century, Methodist services are still held in the main hall twice every Sunday, with various other activities throughout the week, and it continues to be the home of the Sheffield Methodist District office.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by John Highfield .