Inside the old building ...

Waiting room new concrete ground floor and floor joists for first floor area all installed.

Main entrance corridor floor lowered and concrete slab cast.

Walls coming up ...

Ground floor blockwork is well under way.

Counselling Rooms taking shape ....

Can you see what it is yet ...

Foundations are in and the blockwork has started for the 4 ground floor counselling rooms.

Working with Bristol Together to create the first floor Training and support areas ....

First floor flat stripped out ready to start refurbishment.

Redeveloping and extending the part of St Andrews Methodist Church that we purchased back in May gives us a great opportunity not only to secure new premises for ourselves that will enable us to further develop our counselling and training in a sustainable way, but also the opportunity to work with other charities and community organisations.

We have been talking in the last few months with Bristol Together. Bristol Together CIC was launched in October 2011 as a social business; they buy refurbish and sell empty properties. Their aim is to create full-time jobs for people who have been in prison.

A criminal record can be a huge obstacle to securing employment. Bristol Together give people another chance; providing training and support through mentors dedicated to seeing employees succeed.

Network is going to employ Bristol Together to refurbish the first floor flat for part of our Training and Support accommodation. We are also hoping to work with them to tidy up the site and create the garden once the main contractor has left site.

We are still in the process of raising the funds to make this all happen. One aspect of this is the Big Give Christmas Challenge where we will be asking you all to support us with online donations for the project between 28th November – 5th December you can find out more about our project and donating here

Stage opening sealed up floors progressing ....

No more pantomimes here ... the proscenium arch has now been infilled and this means that the church areas and our building works are now properly separated.

The proscenium arch infilled and getting ready to cast the floor slab in the Waiting Room and Main Office.

Floor level reduced in the corridor to make sure all the ground floor is accessible.

More foundations and demolition completed ...

A small amount of demolition has been completed where the new 2 storey counselling accommodation will attach to the existing building.

The new and altered drainage has been installed and excavations for the foundations has been started.

As you can see is is a compact site and it will be good to get the foundations in and be able to take the diggers off site to have some more space.

2 weeks of good progress ...

The contractor has been on site for 2 weeks already and good progress made.

Some demolition completed and drainage started

The old stage floor taken out and lowered ... this is where the new main office will be !

and here's the Waiting Area ... some imagination needed!

The corridor level has been reduced to make the whole ground floor level and doorways cut down as well.

Definitely started ...

... the diggers are on site and some initial demolition has taken place. 

Site cabins completed ready to start ...

Site cabins ad fencing all up and ready for a start on site on Monday

John Perkins Construction to start on site Monday 17th July ...

We are going to be starting on site on Monday 17th July with our building contractor being John Perkins Construction. The contract should complete on 15th December this year and we aim to be open at the new site early January 2018.

How easy is it to get to the new site?

The new site is much more accessible by public transport including bus and train. It is near to a major junction for 2 main routes in and out of Bristol from the surrounding areas and there are various bus stops under 5 minutes walk away. 

Elm Park is about 10-15 minutes walk from Filton Abbeywood train station which has regular services from Yate, Bath, central Bristol and Cardiff.

There is a cycle route nearby that connects into Bristol and also to the A4174 link road.

The site is just off Gloucester Road North and only 15 minutes from the current site at Trinity College.

The site is well served by buses in and out of Bristol