Warden completes £2.4m transformation of Manchester family contact centres

Warden has completed a major refurbishment project for Manchester City Council’s Family Time Service at Acorn House in Withington and Belthorne Children’s Centre.

The Family Time Service supports supervised contact for children, parents and carers involved in social care. Acorn House and Belthorne Children’s Centre serve as two of the locations for these sessions.

We delivered the £2.4m project through the North West Construction Hub Low Value Framework, upgrading the facilities across both sites to create a better experience for visitors and staff.

Each building now features up to ten new family rooms, office areas, kitchens, outside play areas and improved toilet and changing facilities.

Works across both sites included roof replacements, insulation upgrades, rewiring, heating improvements, new windows and doors, landscaping, and fencing works, as well as internal refurbishments throughout.

Ian Williams, managing director of Warden, said: “Acorn and Belthorne is a really meaningful project for us at Warden because it shows the impact that well-designed community spaces can have on people’s lives.

“It was important to us, the Council, and Family Times that the finished spaces feel safe, welcoming and accessible. The improved facilities will support people through some incredibly important moments, while also future-proofing public assets that play a vital role in the community.

“It has been a complex refurbishment programme that involved phased delivery across live operational environments, but our team has stayed focused on delivering the best outcome for the people who use these spaces every day.”

Extensive structural strengthening works were required, alongside replacement flooring, drainage upgrades and the construction of new parking and external areas.

Acorn House also included accessibility improvements such as level access, along with the demolition of the garage block and wider external reconfiguration.

The phased programme, which began in May 2023, allowed services to continue with the Acorn House team temporarily relocating to Belthorne while works were carried out.

Jaime Cepeda, project lead at Manchester City Council, added: “Warden’s diligence and collaborative approach were key to the successful refurbishment of these vital community facilities.”