Morgan Sindall Construction boosts social value for Gorton with completion of multi-service community hub

Morgan Sindall Construction has successfully handed over The Gorton Hub, a community project delivered for Manchester City Council.

Procured via the North West Construction Hub framework, the £20.3 million new build is a learning, health, and community hub in Manchester, bringing a range of services together under one roof for the first time.

From health and social care to employment support and training, the hub offers a wide range of services and community facilities including use as a ‘Warm Space’ through winter. The new modern building will lower the carbon footprint of the services who are currently located at separate and inefficient sites. Through innovation applied during the design stage, Morgan Sindall’s steel frame solution has saved a further 561tCO₂e embodied carbon within the fabric of the building.

As such, the project is an exemplar model of how Morgan Sindall Construction’s Intelligent Solutions approach supports its customers to decarbonise buildings and improve occupant wellbeing while enhancing lives and communities.

The purpose-built facility will not only become the new home for The Gorton Medical Centre GP practice, but will also be home to NHS community health teams, along with social care teams and an on-site pharmacy.

The Gorton Hub will provide services to increase and drive the workforce in the area, offering adult education sessions in English, Maths, ICT and ESOL, along with a Jobcentre Plus that will provide resources and information about jobs, training, claims and universal credit. A new library space will also be available within the Hub, creating a modern and vibrant safe space for learning, reading, and studying.

The three-story building will give visitors access to One Manchester, a provider of housing and community services within the region that help people manage their money, find work, start-up businesses and stay healthy and well. Services offered include employment support, skill building, literacy training, digital support, and enterprise services for One Manchester residents.

The construction process has created £16m Social Value in the local area – a return on investment of 78% of the project value. (Calculated via Social Value Portal – Manchester City Council’s preferred system to procure, measure, manage and report social value.)

The social value figures represent Morgan Sindall Construction’s commitment to local employment and training, community engagement, volunteering time, charitable donations, carbon literacy training and investment in micro, small and medium enterprises from the local area.

The use of CarboniCa – Morgan Sindall’s in-house developed, digital carbon reduction tool – saw the adoption of photovoltaic panels, air source heat pumps, thermal wheel heat recovery and efficient lighting, resulting in 532 tonnes of embodied carbon being saved.

Morgan Sindall Construction have created an ongoing partnership with Ryder Brow Allotments who offer NHS funded ‘gardening on prescription’ by Sow the City for all ages and backgrounds. The site team also created partnerships with local colleges throughout the construction process to raise aspirations, promote inclusivity and future careers.

The team worked alongside community groups to enhance the resources for those less fortunate in the area, including a repair and refurbishment of the Gorton Community Grocer, which is a food sharing programme. Other groups the site team collaborated with are the Oasis Centre, overseeing the donations of seasonal treats such as Easter eggs, Christmas presents and toys, as well as Rainbow Haven, a service that provides community drop-in sessions offering support and activities for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants. Over £10,000 and 200 volunteering hours have been invested into the Gorton Community to leave a lasting legacy.

Further honouring this commitment, Morgan Sindall Construction engaged with Gorton History Group to develop branding and artwork for the hoarding around the Hub during its construction, celebrating local heritage and culture.

Shaun Jones, Greater Manchester area director for Morgan Sindall said:

Community projects are at the heart of what we do here at Morgan Sindall. Gorton is a vibrant area with a wealth of great community organisations who have local people at the heart of what they do.

It’s been a pleasure working so closely with the city council to maximise the positive impact the Gorton Hub will bring. Together, we have created £16m of social value, which is absolutely phenomenal and will leave a legacy in Gorton for years to come - we’re looking forward to seeing the local and economic growth that follows.”

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said:

This is a momentous moment for the Gorton community and the first neighbourhood to welcome a fully integrated space where health, social care, Council services, education and housing have been brought together.

This isn’t just about convenience of visiting one place to access all of these support services, but it’s based on the understanding that all of these support services are interconnected. Housing and good health, good employment, education and social care. Our residents need all of these things to work together to lead happy, healthy and prosperous lives.

This is why the Gorton Hub is so innovative. It helps us all think a bit differently about the support we need and will allow our residents to access those services more easily - each behind a single front door. If you’re local to Gorton then this is your community space. So please drop in and take a look.”

During the early stages of construction, Morgan Sindall hosted a jobs fair at Gorton Monastery to create a platform for useful local connections to be established, further benefiting, and highlighting the impressive pool of talent across Gorton.

Providing local workers and businesses with the opportunity to become a part of the project team delivering the Hub, the event formed part of Morgan Sindall’s commitment to providing a boost to the local economy and job market as part of the construction process. These efforts resulted in around 650 local people gaining employment on this project.

The Gorton Hub, located on Hyde Road, will open its doors on Tuesday 15th November, with a phased opening plan for individual services, and a community café coming in 2023.

ENDS

For more information about this news release please contact Violet Pocock at Influential on 07498745284 or email [email protected].