A DISUSED warehouse is to be transformed into a healthcare hub after being taken over by a South Lakes charity.

The Agrilek Building in Barrow's Duke Street has stood empty since it was closed unexpectedly in August last year.

Now fresh life will be breathed into the site after St Mary's Hospice announced its plan to turn it into a day care centre, and a new space for its second-hand furniture business.

Around October last year, trustees at the hospice agreed that more needed to be done to provide care to patients living in Barrow.

Read about the shock decision to close the Agrilek building

Simultaneously, the retail wing of the charity had outgrown its second-hand furniture warehouse and was on the hunt for a new location.


Val Stangoe, chief executive of St Mary's said: "We made a decision that in the budget this year we would expand our services. Our head of retail said she had a look at the building (in Duke Street), and it completely moved our ambitions to a whole new level."

Over the next eight months the site will be converted to house day care and Living Well services which currently take place in Ulverston.

There will be no extra beds included in the development, however the aim for the centre is to focus on health and wellbeing, trying to ensure patients do not need residential care unless absolutely critical.

"The most exciting thing for us as a hospice is that by having the new clinical space attached to the furniture warehouse we can make this new hospice site in Barrow affordable.

"We won’t have beds on this Barrow site but, over time, we will be able to offer everything else the hospice does."

Jo Blake, head of clinical services for St Mary's also expressed her delight at the hospice's acquisition. She said: "People living in Barrow don’t always want to travel for the care and support they need. Although we already provide services in Barrow, this building brings the opportunity to increase support.

"Care will be closer to home, focused on maintaining independence and offered long before people need hospice care."

As well as offering more services for patients, expansion of the furniture side of the business could reap financial dividends further down the line for the hospice.

Caroline Welch, head of retail at St Mary's said: "Our furniture warehouse has grown too big for its current site.

"This larger warehouse will give us room to expand as well as giving space to develop other retail opportunities like eBay."

Site visits have already taken place, with hospice chiefs eager to get work started on transforming the building.

It is understood that the clinical facilities will be completed by January at the latest, with the furniture warehouse completed much sooner.

St Mary's is privately renting the site from Barrow businessman Dean Steele. Mrs Stangoe added: "He's been wonderful, he's been a long-term supporter of ours."

To find out more about St Mary's visit their website.

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