A new £1m youth community centre has replaced a former GP surgery in North Sheffield, following a sustainable renovation project.

Fourth Wall Building Consultancy has unveiled the fully renovated GP’s surgery in Southey Green that had sustainability as the driving force behind the project.

Josh Weston, 31, co-founder and lead director of the Sheffield-based building company, said: “It’s a multipurpose facility and it’s all about flexibility because this is a once in a generation package of funding, and we were incredibly fortunate to get that from the Youth Improvement Fund.

“It made sure that it was useable now and usable in the future, where rooms can always be repurposed.”

The Youth Improvement Fund is a government-supported initiative that provides financial support to revitalise youth facilities across the UK. 

The new centre acts as a foodbank, provides counselling and career services, has IT suites and includes a sports hall to overcome the most significant gaps in the area’s community resources.

Fourth Wall and Chilypep, the Parson Cross youth charity, worked with young people from Southey Green to gather feedback and incorporate their ideas.

The two organisations worked closely since 2023, securing £1m bid to complete their sustainably-driven project.

Instead of demolishing the former GP surgery, Fourth Wall chose to renovate the interior and build an extension, resulting in a 60% reduction in carbon emissions.

Mr Weston said: “The government are starting the recognise we are demolishing a lot of structures which have had a lot of carbon used to build them in the first place.”

The construction crew also installed an air-source heat pump instead of a traditional gas boiler, and added solar panels to reduce the centre’s carbon footprint.

Lesley Pollard, CEO of Chilypep, said: “The new youth and community centre has been a long-held goal, and we’d like to express deep thanks to Fourth Wall for their dedication and collaboration with this project. 

“We are also really proud to have had the young people and the wider community we serve at the heart of this, inputting into the design and ensuring that the centre meets their needs.”

Chilypep initiatives are supported by their patron, the Rt Hon Lord David Blunkett, who was born and raised in Parson Cross, Sheffield.

Rt Hon Lord Blunkett served as education and employment secretary, home secretary and work and pension’s secretary in Tony Blair’s cabinet.

Fourth Wall was founded in 2020 and is committed to sustainable development in all of its projects.

The building company has received the Highly Commended Sustainable Development award at the Inside Media Yorkshire Property Industry Awards.