PRIDE OF ST HELENS AWARDS: Building Back award nominees

Ahead of Friday night's awards, we are publishing a profile for the nominees in each category.

• Thatto Heath ARLFC

Thatto Heath Crusaders (Image: Twitter)

FOR the second time in just over two years, Thatto Heath Crusaders’ training barn was ripped apart in a suspected arson attack in August. With fire crews spending 90 minutes tackling the blaze, the facility suffered “extensive damage” which is believed to cost in excess of £100,000 to repair.

As well as the cost of rebuilding the facility, the incident also caused a considerable loss of earnings as the Crusaders cannot hire it out to the other sports clubs or organisations that use it.

It was an incident that devastated all those associated with the club, but the Crusaders decided this wouldn’t keep them down and they would build back even stronger.

Organising a festival fundraiser at the club’s ground, Thatto got the help of former Super League players Adrian Morley, Mark Flanagan and Ben Westwood to help rebuild the club facilities. The retired players lined up against former Thatto Heath players in a Legends game, which also had rugby tournaments for younger age groups.

The fundraiser, ran entirely by volunteers, also involved live music, fitness competitions, kids activities, as well as raffles and games.

Also organising charity bike rides and sponsored walks, the Crusaders have raised thousands towards rebuilding their facilities.

• St Helens Book Stop

Manager Nik Lowe and assistant Caitlin (Image: St Helens Star)

THE St Helens Book Stop launched in November 2021 with the mission to improve literacy skills and aspirations for people in the town. The shop was only able to happen after a huge community fundraising effort, after a crowdfunding appeal.

This raised a required £40,000 which enabled further funding for the project. The Bridge Street shop is a charitable community benefit society, and was set up thanks to the efforts of late founder Brian Leyland, who sadly passed away in February of this year.

The shop aims to continue to fulfil Brian’s legacy and make an impact for the benefit of the town and seeks to improve literacy levels among children and help social mobility. Brian’s idea for the bookshop was sparked in part by the closure of Wardleworths bookstore on Westfield Street, which had been a fixture of the town centre for more than four decades.

The shop has also been involved in community events, and art projects including the successful St Helens Street Hunt held earlier this year. Manager Nik Lowe, trustees and staff continue to work hard and help carry on Brian’s legacy. The premises also includes a spacious cafe area, run by Two Brothers.

• Ian Pitts

ENTREPRENEUR Ian Pitts is investing time and money into reviving the night-time economy of St Helens. Like many towns and cities across the country, St Helens has felt the impact of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis, which has made life difficult for bars and restaurants.

Ian, however, has stuck by his plans to invest in his hometown by building a network of venues around the Imperial Buildings on Ormskirk Street. His latest and boldest venture has been opening a food and drink market on the site where a former public toilet once stood on Brook Street.

The Imperial Food & Drink Quarter aims to bring a city centre feel into St Helens and provide a much-needed boost to the local economy. With indoor, outdoor, and balcony seating available, there is a host of independent food stalls to try inside the venue, which serves drink and puts on live music.

Ian’s commitment to helping the town centre night-time economy build back from the past few years has been widely praised. He hopes the new venue, adjacent to his other establishments pizza restaurant Cork & Dough, the Secret Garden gin bar, underground bar The Church, and the Citadel Theatre in the town centre, can boost visitor numbers to the town centre. He has also unveiled plans for further investment on Ormskirk Street and Hardshaw Street.