A 300 year old former convent has been renovated and refurbished 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, due to open at the end of October, 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.
The new rehabilitation centre has 38 private rooms, with a team of staff supporting residents with their psychological and social needs, said James Armstrong, Phoenix Futures’ director of marketing and innovation.
James said: “Everyone has potential to make change. This residential service is designed for people who have struggled to access treatment and make the changes they desire in the community. It is one of the only residential facilities to offer support for drug, alcohol and mental health needs on one site.
“For the last decade residential treatment services have been closing due to lack of funding. This will be the first since the new drug strategy was introduced last year to address the inequality of access for people with more complex needs.
“We will work with partners to provide therapeutic support on a one-to-one and group basis, with professional support workers, to help reduce the blame and shame there can be around addiction.
“Residents will be encouraged to support each other and to develop their living skills by being involved in running some aspects of the building, working together as a self-supported community to achieve positive results.”
