A new mental health hub for Chesterfield has taken a step forward with the appointment of a construction firm to lead the redevelopment of the building. Local firm Beighton Construction will oversee the refurbishment of the former Register Office on Beetwell Street for charity Derwent Rural Counselling Service. The new centre is set to open in summer 2023. Grand plans for the three storey premises include office space, treatment and consulting rooms, meeting rooms and relaxation space to help cope with an increased demand for DRCS services in the area plus tenanted options including rooms and floorspace.Belper-based Norder Design Associates will be supporting the scheme with project management, architectural and engineering design services.Janette Smeeton, Chief Executive at DRCS, said: “This is a huge milestone having a construction firm on board and will mean we can move forward at pace from mid-March to progress to a brand new future for the new building. “By having our services here we can be more efficient, maximise manpower and continue to deliver a high-quality service to support our service users. It will also allow us to offer room rentals and services to other organisations in the town.” Andrew Holmes, director at Beighton Construction, based in Chesterfield, said: “We are really pleased to start a new working partnership with DRCS. This project allows us to take a well known premises in Chesterfield and deliver a true future-proofed building, serving needs across the town and the county. It is a demanding refurbishment, but we will deliver it for this summer. “We are very excited not only about the building development, but the much needed services and benefits it will bring for local people once it’s completed.”The new premises is part of ambitious plans for the charity which currently operates a team of 60 freelance and employed staff working from home and out of seven centres across the county covering the Amber Valley, Erewash, Chesterfield, Buxton, Matlock, Ashbourne, Derby, Swadlincote and the Peak District. Mark Serby, chair of trustees for the Bakewell-headquartered charity, said: “This is a hugely exciting project for the charity, and for people across the county.“By investing in the purchase and renovation of the property, DRCS will be in a position to scale active services and have capacity to introduce potential new ones to meet changing needs, providing a positive impact on the community.”Martin Lythgoe, director at Norder Design Associates, said: “We’ve been working closely with DRCS to develop this project over the last 12 months and we’re really pleased that Beighton Construction have now been appointed to undertake the refurbishment. The project will bring an important local building back to life and provide an asset of lasting value for the local community.”Over the last 30 years, DRCS has become the largest third sector provider of counselling services in the region offering help to individuals, via self referral or via a GP, with common mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, stress and long term conditions through counselling, CBT, guided self-help, and other forms of talking therapy. For the last eight years, DRCS has been in partnership with Derbyshire Healthcare Foundation Trust to improve access to psychological therapies throughout Derbyshire achieving above national recovery rates and shorter waiting times.
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