A neglected changing rooms facility in the grounds of an historic South Liverpool estate has been lovingly restored to community use as a centre for therapies and wellbeing.
Originally the animal husbandry block for the Sudley House Estate, The Changing Rooms were used as a facility for sports teams playing on Sudley Fields until the early 2000s when they fell into disrepair.
Growing Sudley CIC, a not-for-profit community business that’s been working to revive the abandoned walled garden on the estate since 2017, successfully secured public funding and social investment to redevelop the derelict Liverpool City Council changing block.
A major retrofit took place between 2020-2024 using ecological construction approaches and renewable energy systems to create a healthy and low carbon building for the future.
The building runs on air source heat pump technology and – thanks to a Heritage Lottery funded volunteer training project – is clad with zero carbon natural building material, Hempcrete.
There are seven therapy rooms in total and the building has already become home to a thriving community of high-quality holistic, functional and talking therapists.
The therapies currently available include: Thai massage, holistic bodywork, yoga therapy, physiotherapy, aromatherapy, craniosacral treatments, Ayurvedic consultation and talking therapies from a range of integrative counsellors and clinical psychologists.
Massage therapist, Kathleen, says:
“Having practiced locally for 30 years, I find this a sensitively run space that caters to the wellbeing of my clients and myself. It’s nurturing and cocooning – my favourite place ever to offer therapies!”
Lucy Dossor, Co-founder from Growing Sudley, which also led two community crowdfunders to get the project to completion, says:
“Politics, the pandemic, price rises and shortages meant it was quite a journey to get the building completed in the end but thanks to support from the community, we made it.”
“Now that the doors are open, we’d love as many people as possible to come and experience what’s on offer here in this unique urban oasis, which is part of a long term community-driven aspiration to care for our greenspaces and environment, and empower people to support their wellbeing.”
All income generated by The Changing Rooms will be reinvested into Growing Sudley CIC’s work to operate the thriving Therapeutic Garden next door to the building, and provide activities for all ages to support health and wellbeing through nature. The garden is host to a wide range of offers, including Forest School holiday clubs, toddler activities and services for people of all ages with additional needs and disabilities.
To find out more about the therapies available at The Changing Rooms and book an appointment, visit the website.
Therapists and health professionals interested in delivering services from The Changing Rooms should email thechangingrooms@growingsudley.com
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