Quay Place, Ipswich, wins RICS Award

We are very excited to have received The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Building Conservation Award, East of England, for Quay Place.

Peter Aiers, Director, North & South East, CCT, says: “We are delighted that all the hard work of the team over ten years has been recognised by the award. This innovative partnership between a conservation charity and a mental health charity has created a space of great beauty and usefulness for Ipswich and beyond. We especially thank the Heritage Lottery Fund and all our other supporters who believed in our vision at Quay Place.”

Jon Neal Chief Executive, Suffolk Mind says: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have won this award – particularly as it acknowledges the passion, dedication and skills of the people who worked on both the design and the construction and renovation of Quay Place over many years.

“At Suffolk Mind we believe that all of us have mental health and we’re all on a continuum, with stress as the crossover point from wellbeing to mental ill-health. Any of us can be affected at any time if we’re not getting our emotional needs met. Quay Place is an important part of our mission to make Suffolk the best place in the world for talking about and taking care of mental health.

“This award recognises the beautiful building that we’re incredibly proud of and that helps us deliver our services and provides an uplifting place for people to meet, discover something new or connect with themselves and others.”

The RICS Building Conservation Award honours excellent work in the conservation of buildings or structures and covers renovation or conservation to a new or original use.

The Grade II* church of St Mary-at-the-Quay opened to the public, as Quay Place last November, revealing the result of a £5.1m scheme that has been eight years in the making.

This regeneration project came about through a ground-breaking partnership between The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) and Suffolk Mind.  It saw the rescue of the ‘at risk’ medieval church and its transformation into a unique heritage and wellbeing centre.

Find out more about Quay Place

Find out more about Suffolk Mind

Image above showing, from left to right, Matthew Howell, RICS Managing Director for UK & Ireland, Jon Neal, Chief Executive, Suffolk Mind, Peter Aiers, Director North & South East, The Churches Conservation Trust and Melissa Porter, TV Presenter & Property Developer.