NLHF awards £4.7m to renovate Kingsley Hall for disadvantaged young people

The National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) has announced it is awarding £4.7m to fund renovation works to Kingsley Hall, which will create purpose-designed spaces for 1625 Independent People, a Bristol-based youth homelessness charity.

The Grade II*-listed Kingsley Hall witnessed a variety of social movements in its 319 years, from its days as a Conservative club in the late 1800s to its opening as the headquarters of the Independent Labour party in 1911.

The NLHF-funded work will see the opening of a community hub, new accommodation, a “skills kitchen” and cafe to support young people who have experienced homelessness and care leavers to develop skills, improve their wellbeing, access training and employment.

Donald Insall Associates was commissioned by 1625 Independent People to produce a Conservation Management Plan to support their NLHF application. Our brief asked us to involve young people at every stage of the project — we led three heritage skills sessions with young people exploring the history of the site as well as its national and local significance.

Dom Wood, chief executive of 1625 Independent People, said: “The social history of Kingsley Hall resonates with the young people we support, and Kingsley Hall will stand as a foundation for young people to create brighter futures for themselves and their communities.”

Eilish McGuinness, chief executive at the National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “From a monumental Victorian water tower in Colchester and an iconic architectural landmark within Edinburgh’s world heritage site to Kingsley Hall in Bristol’s Old Market, we are working with those who care for heritage, transforming historic gems and positively adding to wellbeing and educational opportunities for young people, making heritage the focus of communities, places and the UK economy.”