New £1.8m centre to open at former convent

A former convent has been renovated and refurbished by commercial property agent Innes England into a state-of-the-art rehabilitation facility.   

The £1.8 million refurbishment has transformed the former Convent of the Holy Name, in Oakwood, Derby.

The Georgian building’s interior has a new wing of ensuite bedrooms, a modern kitchen for residents, and the chapel has been repurposed into a discussion and break-out room.  

The centre will be run by the charity and housing association Phoenix Futures, which helps vulnerable individuals recover from drug and alcohol addiction. 

The nuns who previously inhabited the convent left in May last year for a new home in Yorkshire.

The community had been in the Derby suburb for more than 30 years.  

Trish Topliss, associate director at Innes England, worked closely with Phoenix Futures and a number of stakeholders, including health commissioning teams and service users, on the refurbishment.

It is the first completed project since she joined the agency’s building consultancy team earlier this year. 

She said: “It’s been exciting to see this beautiful building develop and take shape over the last few months.

“The fact that it is around 300 years old means there were some unique obstacles to overcome in dealing with the Georgian architecture.

“Some modern installations, such as the electrics, had to be approached with extra care. 

“Our team of experts worked diligently to ensure the project was delivered on time and to the highest standard.

“I’m so glad we’ve been able to step in and help stop it from falling into disrepair after its previous tenants sadly left last year. 

“I think that the nuns from the Community of the Holy Name would be glad to see that their home has had its life extended and been converted into a place for healing.”