FBE Breakfast Event

A great morning last week at FBE’s breakfast event ‘Out With The New, In With The Old’.

Director, Andy James presented on OMI’s broad array of heritage projects. From churches to charities, offices to residential.

Andy’s talk focused on two recently completed projects, the office refurbishment, Trinity in central Manchester and the Mustard Tree in Ancoats.

Further insight came from Katy Lightbody of Turley, Will Parry of Helical and Graham Hudson from the Mustard Tree. Graham talked about the difference the building has made to their operation, how they coped with the build and the work the charity do.

Mustard Tree has an established track record over the past 25 years, supporting people across Greater Manchester in poverty and facing homelessness.

They create opportunities for people to help themselves through providing practical support, friendship, connections into work, improvements to health and wellbeing plus new experiences to encourage aspiration.

The Mustard Tree has been awarded with a Civic Trust award, a RIBA North West award and the RIBA MacEwen award. The award recognises architecture for ‘the common good’ which has a demonstrable benefit to society.