The Florence Institute is a Victorian Grade II Listed building, and the oldest surviving purpose-built boys club in Britain. For a century from 1889, it provided safe recreation to boys from poor communities in South Liverpool and it was these communities that led the long struggle to not only restore the building back to its former glory, but to also bring it back to life for local people. The building was in use until the late 1980s, however when it became vacant, the buildings condition deteriorated.
The subject of a campaign to ‘Stop the Rot’ by the Liverpool Echo, the Merseyside Buildings Preservation Trust worked as part of a team that included The Florence Institute Charitable Trust, and the Princes Trust to restore The Florrie back to its former glory as a hub for the local community. The Trust advised the Florence Institute Trust on all aspects of the urban heritage regeneration process. This included the appointment of a Trustee board member to act in a design advisory capacity to ensure that key elements of the historic fabric were restored back to their original condition. In addition, the role involved ensuring that any new interventions, required to ensure the building was fit for modern occupation, complemented the rich architectural heritage of the building.
Opened in 2017, The Florrie is now functioning as the heart of the local community, it’s transformation into a multi-functional community hub has been likened to a ‘phoenix rising from the ashes’. The building, through the intervention of the Trust, has been transformed from a liability to an asset that continues to serve the community who collectively worked so hard to fight for its survival. The project has been recognised with awards for conservation and preservation by organisations including the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, and the Civic Trust.
