Coach House consultation

Plans to revive Hillsborough Park’s listed former Coach House as a dementia-friendly older people’s centre and café will be on show at two consultation events this month.

Age UK Sheffield, which has been awarded £50,0000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop the proposals, are inviting people to two events in Hillsborough to see the plans and give feedback.

The events are at:

Hillsborough Trinity Methodist Church, Middlewood Road, from 5pm to 7pm on Wednesday 24 April and

Hillsborough Park bowling pavilion, from 9.30am to 11am, on Saturday 27 April

Steve Chu, chief executive of Age UK Sheffield, said: “We are very excited about these plans and the huge difference they could make, not only to people with dementia and their families, but to the wider Hillsborough community.

“We are looking at improving local facilities with new toilets, space for community groups and a new café, whilst the possiblility of hosting evenings, clubs and even weddings is also being discussed.

A survey can also be filled in online by clicking here.

And if people want to fill in a paper version of the feedback form, they can go to Hillsborough Leisure Centre, Hillsborough Library or Fairlawns Medical Centre.
In December, Heritage Lottery Fund confirmed an initial £50,000 bid to Age UK Sheffield.

It means the abandoned coach house, last used as a munitions store during the Second World War, could be open for use by the whole community by the end of 2020.

Age UK Sheffield says the development funding of £49,700 announced today will enable the charity to progress plans and apply for a full National Lottery Grant later this year. A fundraising campaign is already under way.

The centre, behind Hillsborough Library and adjoining the Park’s attractive walled garden, could host dementia-friendly group activities such as singing and dancing, as well as classroom-based activities and educational classes such as digital drop-ins.

The community café could be open to thousands of local park visitors, including dog-walkers, children’s playground users, and park runners.

It aims to provide local employment and volunteering opportunities in the Hillsborough area, while introducing people to the Walled Garden and other heritage within the park.

There is currently no dedicated older people’s activity centre in Sheffield. Age UK Sheffield is particularly interested in developing inter-generational learning opportunities and concepts such as a “Nana’s Cafe”, with socially-isolated older people being brought to together to cook for other people.