YMCA welcomes first tenants to newly renovated Wellington building

Wellington’s historic former New College building, now repurposed into transitional housing for young people, has been officially completed. The Grade II listed property on King Street, originally constructed between 1911 and 1912, has been transformed into 28 one-bedroom apartments as part of a £3.9 million renovation project.

The building, has undergone sympathetic renovations to preserve its historic charm while modernising it for current use. The project, led by Morro Partnerships, began in March 2023 and has recently been completed. The project was supported by a package of grant funding from Telford & Wrekin Council, Marches LEP, Safer Communities Fund and Homes England and YMCA.

The building owned by YMCA Blackburn is managed by YMCA Wellington, have received the keys to the building and has already welcomed its first residents through the door to their new accommodation.

This accommodation, is designed to support young people transitioning from supported housing to independent living. The facility includes essential communal areas such as a training room, laundry, staff management office, shared waste and recycling facilities, secure cycle storage, charging points, and communal gardens, whilst keeping the character of the building.

The building sits within a wider regeneration scheme which will provide 20 homes for private rent by Nuplace together with an affordable retirement living scheme comprising of 64 apartments and 10 bungalows being brought forward by Wrekin Housing Group.

Councillor Lee Carter (Lab) Leader of Telford & Wrekin Council, said: “We are delighted to see this significant project come to fruition. There has been an unbelievable amount of hard work behind the scenes by the YMCA, Telford & Wrekin Council and others. The completion of this building not only restores a cherished historic site but also provides high-quality transitional housing for young people in our community. It’s a key part of the wider regeneration of the former New College site and an important step in supporting those in need ensuring that the site which originally constructed to provide opportunities for young people, will continue to do so for generations to come.”

Chris Timmins, Managing Director at Morro, commented: “Helping house so many people at Wellington’s historic former New College building is incredibly rewarding.“ We pride ourselves on being better community makers and will ensure that the positive impact is felt not just in the construction of the homes but the surrounding areas too. “We’re excited to be seeing the first residents moving their new accommodation and cannot wait for the project to support more young people in the local area.”

Melissa Lloyd, CEO of YMCA Blackburn, added: “YMCA Blackburn are delighted to have completed the redevelopment of the New College building, breathing new life into this historic site. This project is the latest addition to the work YMCA Blackburn undertake within Telford and Wrekin to support provision of housing for people at risk of homelessness. In our role as a Registered Provider and Investment Partner with Homes England, YMCA Blackburn have been able to support YMCA Wellington to increase their provision and presence in their area. This project has seen a further 28 young people given the opportunity to access high quality affordable accommodation as part of our inspirational housing models, often referred to as Y:Pads.”

Pic: Telford & Wrekin Council, Chris Timmins, Managing Director at Morro Partnerships and Melissa Lloyd, CEO of YMCA Blackburn.