Westgate House on Museum Street.
We are thrilled to announce that our Integration Team and ESOL classes have officially moved to our new premises at Westgate House on Museum Street! Just a short five-minute walk from our previous office at St Matthews Street, Westgate House is a three-storey building that offers two fully equipped classrooms, a small consultation room, and ample space for our growing administrative team.
As well as expanding our ESOL and health provision in a higher quality setting, the building can also be used as an additional venue for our youth projects including New Gen, Making Waves and South Street Kids.
Moving day - don't we look fabulous in our high vis?
Why the move?
With over 230 ESOL learners spread across more than a dozen weekly classes, we’ve quickly outgrown our space at St Matthews Street. This rapid growth required us to hire additional venues, which added extra costs and logistical challenges. Our new home at Westgate House allows us to consolidate all our ESOL activities, including our maternity project, under one roof.
The move gives us the chance to:
Increase our teaching space by 200%
Grow our weekly ESOL learners by 50%
Expand our Information, Advice, and Guidance services by 50%
“One of the charities which have impressed us the most during the year is ICM, currently based in South Street, but doing much more than just media and with a fantastically positive "we will try to do anything if we can" attitude. They have quite simply
outgrown their premises...” Edward Creasy, Former High Sheriff of Suffolk
We aspire for our new home to be the greenest building in Ipswich.
ICM is committed to playing its part to tackle the climate crisis, so we see refurbishing an existing building as an opportunity for us to lead by example by putting sustainability at the heart of our decision making.
ICM will work closely with a sustainability consultant to develop proposals using the BREEAM Methodology. These improvements will include new insulation, renewable energy sources and longer- term monitoring to ensure the continued efficient operation of the building.
Our new home - we will have some shiny new signage soon too, so watch this space.
The Move-in Day
Moving day was as hot as it was busy, but our incredible team and volunteers chipped in with packing boxes, lifting furniture, and after several cups of tea later we are finally settled into our new home. It was truly a team effort, and we couldn’t have done it without everyone’s dedication. There were a few tired faces at the end of the day, but the excitement of settling into our airy, light-filled space made it all worthwhile. With air conditioning and the perfect environment for learning, this move is already making a difference to the work of our Integration Team.
What a team!
First ESOL class at Museum Street yesterday - our EON funded (Employment for Overseas Nationals) Driving Theory class by Linda.
Integration Team (Li and Banhi) all settled in to their new office Museum Street.
The Intergration team set up in thier new office.
What’s Next?
We’ll be ready to welcome learners back in September, and the team is already settling in and preparing for the new ESOL term. With everything under one roof, we’re looking forward to offering even more support and resources for our learners to reach their full potential.
A massive thank you to all the staff and volunteers who helped make the move happen – your hard work and teamwork have truly made this transition a success!
Huge thanks also to the incredible EDRM for preparing renovation plans and for thier ongoing support.
Our partners:
Current funders include Suffolk County Council, Ipswich Borough Council, National Lottery Community Fund, Suffolk Community Foundation, European Social Fund, Education and Skills Funding Agency, Activities Unlimited, Suffolk and North East Essex Maternity and Neonatal Services, People’s Health Trust and National Citizens Service.
OUR NEW ADDRESS:
Westgate House, 1 Museum Street, Ipswich IP1 1HQ
What3Words: spots.magma.baking
We can’t wait to see you in our new space!
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