With our recent phase of work completed at Stretford Public Hall, we spoke to those at the Hall about the impact the Hall has on the community. Our work on Stretford Public Hall included a restoration and transformation of the building into a thriving community space. We were commissioned by the Friends of Stretford Public Hall, who acquired the building in 2015, to enhance community access to heritage spaces.
When we finish a project, we like to go back and see how our buildings are being used. Seeing and hearing about the lived experience of real people shapes how we approach future design through a community-first lens.
Our first interview was with Simon Dunne. Simon is a yoga instructor who started hosting classes at the Hall after his studio closed down during the pandemic.
"All I can say is that I'm grateful for this. This space to be able to allow me to offer it, build a community. Stretford Public Hall has been so supportive as far as helping me out and making it affordable, and stuff like that, so that I can keep doing my thing. I always just feel better for being in this place, whether I'm doing yoga or not.
I've got strength and it's really down to this place.
That's why I think it was essential to build the class here. My journey at the Hall started really around Covid because I used to have my own studio and my community broke down quite a lot really, because I lost my studio. I needed a place to start to build community again. Almost four years ago now, I came to this place and they gave me a space, and from then on out, I'd be turning up for months on end and just trying to build my community back up. And you'd get two or three people and things like that.
Rather than facing defeat, I just kept going and just kept putting my stuff out there and come into the present day. Now it's like I've built this most beautiful community and my classes. I've gone from strength to strength and it's really down to this place.
And I think a lot of the draw is just down to the energy of the building. And it's got so much history and it's such a beautiful place to be. People do want to be here, but obviously, when you make it a much nicer place to be and more aesthetically pleasing and people love that. It shows as well. I'm seeing it through everything that happens here."
