St Martin’s House – construction

It seems a long time already since we began work last month, and by now pretty much all of the more ‘brutal’ work has been done – demolition of the Caretaker block, removing of some windows and internal walls, and stripping out of all the unnecessary items.   Indeed we did a good recycling trade in Belfast sinks and work tables for a while, as some of you well know!   Danni and I seem to get on site quite regularly, and there’s always something new to see each time we go over there.  We even have our own Hallams hard hats and Hi-Vis jackets!    I’m aiming to get some pictures up on the web-site pretty regularly, showing various aspects of the work as it goes through.

We have already had the first of what will be monthly site meetings, which are attended by myself and Andrew Granger (chair of our Construction Group) on behalf of the client, and there’s a lot of email traffic between myself and Michael Goodhart  (project manager/architect) about all the million and one minutiae of a major construction project.  The good news is that the work is on target to date, and I’ve just authorised our first Construction Invoice.

We’re due to start construction of the new Reception Area in the next few weeks, beginning with laying the foundations.  As anyone in the trade will tell you, we can feel a lot easier once we ‘get out of the ground’, so hopefully all that will have gone well by the time I write next month’s June Update.

Prayer Pointers – continue to pray for site safety and good progress, and for Hallams staff Adrian Padgett (contracts manager), Martin Overfield (site manager), and their work team, along with all the many sub-contractors and others coming on and off site.

- for no unexpected surprises as we go into, and come out of,  the ground!

St Martin’s House – preparing to move in

We’re currently advertising for the post of what we’re now calling Operations Manager.   The closing date is 24 May so if you know anyone who might be interested point them at the website, where all the details can be found, and we plan to interview on 2 June.   This will be a crucial appointment for the effective working of St Martin’s house, and I’m already pleased at the level of interest being shown by people ringing up for informal chats.

I’ve spoken a lot over the months of futur4u and our hopes for working with NEETs.   Over the next few weeks we’re carrying out a focussed and intensive piece of research work, designed to make it fully clear what the position is, nationally and locally, and what our contribution might best be – not least as the whole political landscape shifts.    This is being done by local political lecturer and writer Alun Wyburn-Powell – who as it happens was featured in the Mercury on 13 May for his post-election analysis of the new Government.  His PhD is in Liberal/Lib Dem politics in the past 100 years!

There are also some fairly intensive conversations of our own going on concerning the other probable tenants and external partners for the south wing of the building, which I can’t report on, but would value people’s prayers about.

Prayer Pointers – pray for everything to do with the appointment of the Operations Manager

-          for Alun’s research, and for a clear picture to emerge as we move to this next stage of developing our work with NEETs

-          for the right partnerships to emerge to occupy space in the south end of the building.

The Square

Work continues on fine-tuning the design of the Square, and then of seeking funding to construct it.  We recognise that in the current economic climate this is likely to be a long-term project, but are firmly of a mind to keep pressing on it, as we are sure it will be immensely beneficial to both Cathedral and city alike.

I mentioned Cllr Veejay Patel last month, the new leader of the city council.  He paid us an informal visit not long after that, and so is at the least now well informed about all of our hopes and aspiration – which was very encouraging.

Prayer Pointer – for all the ongoing design and liaison work involved in developing plans and gaining support

Last word

Now we’re actually at work on St Martin’s House there’s a perceptible change of gear in the project as a whole.  We move from the possible to the definite, from planning to actualisation, and from envisioning to detailed execution.    There’s an excitement about all of that, of course – along with an importance on paying attention to detail, because getting things right now is important!  But there’s possibly also a risk of forgetting the big picture for the sake of that detail.  Woods and trees, and all that.    I don’t want to do that – and I don’t want us collectively to do that.  That, too, is probably a good prayer pointer!

Pete Hobson – Project Director   13 May 2010