The Florrie: Saving a Liverpool Icon

In the very first issue of Nerve, Mike Fields wrote a great article on the special role played by community centres in Liverpool. He lamented the loss of huge chunks of our social history that have disappeared, gone along with the old buildings that provided the venues and backdrops to our lives. He saw hope in the signs from the grassroots, and was optimistic that their time will come again. This article is about how right he was, and about how arguably the grand-daddy of them all is set to rise again, phoenix from the flames kind of thing. Tom Calderbank (Project Development Officer) walks on with hope in his heart…

The Florence Institute for Boys, known by all as The Florrie, is a Liverpool icon. Nearly everyone ever resident in the immediate area and wider Liverpool could tell you a story about it, good and bad. The good will tell you of the grand and vibrant community centre it once was, a pioneering facility which provided essential youth services, the weekend Dances, the superstars who got their starts there, and the special place it had at the heart of the community for most of the 20th Century. The bad have tales of a derelict eyesore, plagued by vandalism and anti-social behaviour, a blight on the community in recent years, and in need of demolition. Either way, the building is another Liverpool First, an architectural and social gem, and needs urgent attention.

A Brief History Lesson

The Florrie is a fine building, with a long history of serving the people of Dingle and South Liverpool. It occupies a unique place in our social history, as it is arguably the first building ever to be specifically constructed as a (boy’s) youth club in Great Britain.
In 1889, Sir Bernard Hall, a wealthy merchant and former Lord Mayor of Liverpool, built the (now Grade 2-listed) Institute in honour of his daughter, who died in Paris at the untimely age of 22. It was built with the aim to “provide a place of instruction and recreation for the poor and working boys of this parish”. Throughout the 20th Century, The Florrie played an important and positive part in the lives of several generations of the local community, providing a range of leisure, recreation and educational services. The comprehensive book on The Florrie has yet to be written, but would certainly involve thousands of people. Since beginning the campaign, we have been overwhelmed by the number of people contacting us, passionately urging us on.
So where did it all go wrong? Depends who you ask. All that matters is that the building became disused in the 1980’s, and consequently fell into disrepair in the 1990’s. Subsequent regeneration efforts became the victims of circumstance and mismanagement, with funders pulling out of the project, damaging community in-fighting, and a major fire in 1999 which destroyed the roof. Residents were despairing of the problem. The Florrie continued to defy the best efforts of many people and agencies. The basic problem was the ownership.
Since the last Trust managing the place dissolved, the title lapsed by default to the Duchy of Lancaster. This is basically The Queen. I wrote to her on the issue last summer (got a very nice reply as well, funnily enough). As Crown property, The Florrie became immune to action. The usual urgent works notice couldn’t be served. The situation wasn’t helped by the problem of who was going to take the project forward. The Florrie was seen as a potential albatross, that could sink any one organisation. Regeneration schemes came and went, promising so much, delivering so little. So, just like Waiting for Godot, nothing happened. Even the Capital of Culture and World Heritage announcements left Florrie unmoved. She just sat there and rotted.
The Local Authority have maintained basic safety of the building ever since. Everyone agrees: a permanent solution is needed. Together with the City Council’s Buildings at Risk team and the Echo’s ‘Stop The Rot’ campaign, a number of community development agencies in Liverpool 8, working with tenants and residents, have formed a new Trust, dedicated to developing plans to address the problem with a creative solution.

If not us, who? If not now, when?

Things are different now. Now, in 2005, with new funding streams available, a renewed regard for our heritage, and Capital of Culture just over 800 days away, we have an opportunity for one last try at restoration. The Florence Institute Trust Ltd is a community-led trust, set up at the end of 2004 to be the key organisation to move the project forward. Working with a good team (architects Purcell Miller Tritton, for example, continue to oversee the restoration of St George’s Hall), the new Trust has gained charitable status and is currently completing the biggest community consultation on the future of the Florrie ever undertaken. The initial results are looking good, with an overwhelming amount of community support for the project. Bids are being finalised for the much needed funding.
Crucially, negotiations with the Duchy of Lancaster’s solicitors look like having a positive outcome. Pending the necessary insurance and funding being put in place, the ownership of the building will be transferred to the new Trust. Once ownership is back in local hands, movement on the building will be swift. A phased approach, repairing the building and renewing the roof and services in the first phase, will mean that partial restoration could be finished in time for 2008.
Regular public meetings have been the driving force behind the campaign. Many local residents have strenuously pursued the restoration of the Florrie, for many years. The publicity and momentum generated through the Echo’s ‘Stop The Rot’ campaign has galvanised their efforts. Our opportunity now lies in this latest (and surely last) effort to save the building, and the optimistic new efforts to regenerate Liverpool as a whole. And compared to a lot of major capital projects in the city at the moment, the current price tag of £4.5 million seems cheap as chips.

Meeting the needs of the 21st Century

This is it, now folks. It’s been a long time coming, but the time is NOW. This is a community-led initiative, one of the largest in New Liverpool, and as such, will pose challenges for us all in the time to come, so we need to be together and ready. A lot has been talked over the years about saving The Florrie, but just look at it today. It tells its own story. Future generations wouldn’t thank us for our stewardship. At this stage of the game, roughly the 89th minute as far as the building – and the community’s patience - is concerned, talk is cheap. The people of the area rightly demand deeds not words. So our challenge for you is to help us make it happen. To restore the building to its rightful place in our lives.

The New Florrie will help improve local pride, self-esteem and quality of life. It will enhance and improve all other local strategic efforts in the realms of employment, education, regeneration, anti-poverty, childcare, youth work, training, neighbourhood services, health, elder provision, community safety/cohesion, and more. Importantly, it would still be here in 2009, and after.
My challenge now is for everyone who cares about Liverpool, to come together in a spirit of co-operation, with a ‘can-do’ attitude, and help make this priceless project happen. If you would like further information on The Florrie Restoration Campaign, contact the Project Management Team (details below), and remember:

It’s NOT too late – SAVE THE FLORRIE FOR 2008!

Contact:
The Florence Institute Trust Ltd,
c/o Toxteth Town Hall Community Resource Centre,
15 High Park Street,
Liverpool, L8 8DX

Mobile: 0790 4567 726
Website: www.savetheflorrie.org.uk