Friends of Louise House Launch: A Call for Ideas and Expertise

The newly formed Friends of Louise House held their inaugural meeting on Sunday 2nd August. The Friends, whose members come from a range of backgrounds, exist to preserve Louise House for the future by finding a new and publicly beneficial use for the building, which is currently unoccupied.

Louise House, the foundation stone for which was laid in 1890 by Queen Victoria?s daughter Louise, the Marchioness of Lorne (hence the name), is a handsome red brick building sandwiched between Forest Hill Library and the Pools site on Dartmouth Road. The Friends are engaged in a process to find a new use for the building before 2nd November 2009, failing which the Council will pursue a plan to convert the building into flats. The Council may be willing to pass over the building to a new user and the Friends favour uses which involve a publicly beneficial use with public access. The Friends would also like to see the past history of the building, including its former use as a Girls? Industrial Home and its link with Janusz Korczak, a leading children?s rights campaigner, celebrated in some way as part of the new plans. A range of ideas has already emerged, mainly focussed around themes of culture, heritage, health and learning. These include, so far, an arts centre with theatre, an extension to the library, a health centre, a nursery or children?s centre and a local history (or other) museum with education facilities.

We are open to other ideas, especially where there may be a clear path to funds from an outside body. We would like to hear from anyone who can support us in any way, however small. In particular we are interested in people who can help us in kind with relevant expertise, especially in legal work (trusts and charities), accountancy and fundraising in the Third Sector, project management and quantity surveying or architecture.

You can contact us at friendsoflouisehouse@googlemail.com
We are building a website with further information at http://sites.google.com/site/friendsoflouisehouse/