Portland Works

drawing by Becky Matthews Our starting point was to save Portland Works from being closed and converted into flats. This run-down old cutlery works is the first place in the world where stainless steel cutlery was made, and is architecturally significant, being a well built set of workshops in a courtyard behind a rather grand frontage. Portland is one of the few Works in Sheffield still host to working people busy making things, and probably the only one where metal working has continued uninterrupted from the 1870s until the present day.

The campaign evolved into securing a future for this Grade II* Listed building, through purchase, renovation and management by a social enterprise set up by an association of tenants and community members. A community share issue was launched in June 2011 and closed in June 2012, achieving the threshold target of £200,000 and enabling the purchase of Portland works to go ahead. The Works will belong to the people of Sheffield, and continue to offer low-cost accommodation to craftspeople and the creative industries.

Read the full campaign story in the History section

The Campaign started in January 2009 with the first planning application for a Change of Use from a place of "Business and Industry" into residential accommodation. Portland Works would lose its original and continuing role, providing workshops and studios for independent metal workers and other creative people. The original application was withdrawn soon after, but re-submitted in more detail in November 2009; many people objected to the application online, many more contacted us to express their concern. This was the first turning point in the campaign - realising the significance of this place for so many people galvanised the campaign group into action. We determined to put forward an alternative future for the Works. The vision became one of a renovated Works, housing musicians, artists, craftspeople and engineers, helping new enterprise and offering some public access to a heritage centre within the courtyard.

The planning application was withdrawn in May 2011 following a recommendation of refusal by the Council Planning Officers.

The Share Offer for the purchase of the works was launched in June 2011

Since then we have kept in the news and spread the word.  In February 2012 we have 250+ shareholders. contributing over £160,000, and look set to make our initial share sales target of £200,000.  Loans have been organised to match this capital, but clearly the more we raise from individuals the less we have to borrow and the faster we can finance urgent repair work.

Through 2010 and 2011 the campaign to save the works moved from acting against a planning application to becoming a serious bid to buy the Works. We became a properly constituted social enterprise aiming at buying Portland Works, succeeding in early 2013.

In 2013 we bought the Works!

• Further fundraising in February 2013 raised our total to £250,000 to help buy the Works outright, on 28 Feb 2013
  . 

In 2012 we:

• Completed the share issue and raised £215,000
• Concluded a purchase deal with the owners
• Negotiated loans to complete the purchase and start the renovation work
   

In 2011:

• Launched the community share issue to buy the Works, in June 2011, with a target of £250,000 in cash sales.
• Wrote a business plan to ensure a sustainable future for Works under community ownership
• Launched a national online petition in March 2011 opposing the planning application which gained 2000 signatures in three weeks.
• Saw the withdrawal of the planning application for residential use, in April 2011
• Acquired, decorated and furnished a base in the Works for our group and visitors to use.
• Held three Open days bringing in over 400 visitors on guided tours of the workshops and studios.
• Gained further grant support from the Sheffield Town Trust, of £2,670, in late 2011
   

In 2010:

• Formed an action group of thirty highly active members, from tenants and community, and a support base of over 200 supporters and potential investors.
  Built cross-party political support for the project through local councillors, council leaders and our MP.
  Gained considerable media coverage in the local and national press, ITV Calendar news, Sky News, Radio Sheffield and a Radio4 appearance on 'You and Yours', and several appearances on our very own 'Sheffield Live' 93.2 FM
  
  Held a day conference - "Portland Works Futures" to decide the form of ownership, with support from Sheffield University - June 2010 

  Set up a new website with professional help - September 2010
  Formed the IPS "Portland Works Little Sheffield Ltd" - October 2010
  Secured a £5000 grant from South Yorkshire Community Fund for Open days in early 2011
  plus a grant of £7000 from Sheffield City Council for survey costs, 2011
  and a grant of £4000 from Sheffield Town Trust for further surveys and legal assistance, 2011

We'd like to thank Sharrow Community Forum and Sheffield University Architecture Dept for unstinting support from the very beginning of this project, Architectural Heritage Fund for their help and advice, Community Enterprise Hub for support with the business plan, South Yorkshire Community Foundation for supporting the Open Days, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Town Trust for financial support.  The Sheffield Green Party and the local Labour Party group have also been great supporters throughout, helping to bring our message to the wider public.

We wouldn't have got this far without some crucial financial support.

Our thanks go to

• South Yorkshire Community Fund - a £5000 grant for Open days 2011
• Sheffield City Council, £250 grant for start-up costs, 2011
• Sheffield City Council, Community Assembly - grants of £815 and £7000 to cover survey costs, 2011
• Sheffield Town Trust - a grant of £4000  to support the purchase process, 2011
• South Yorkshire Key Fund - grants of £1500 and £5000 linked to setting up the CBS, 2011 and 2012
• Sheffield Town Trust - a second grant of £2670  to support the publicity drive, 2012
• JG Graves Trust - £1500 towards renovation of the portico stonework, April 2012
• Freshgate Foundation - a grant of £1000 to support the purchase process
• And particular thanks to individuals, too modest to be named, who donated around £5000 over the campaigning phase.