NHS Blood and Transplant to open on ground floor of new Sunderland office block
It’s one of the key buildings on the city’s Riverside development.
The ground floor of one of the city’s new office blocks will become home to a new NHS blood donor centre, bringing an essential healthcare service to the heart of the city centre.
Faber - one of two new L&G backed buildings in Sunderland city centre - has announced that NHS Blood and Transplant will take space within the ground floor of the building for a dedicated blood and plasma donor centre.
The new centre is expected to welcome dozens of donors each day who will support the collection of vital blood components to help patients requiring life-saving treatment.
Tiffany Jones, assistant director of Plasma Marketing and Communications at NHS Blood and Transplant, said: “We are really excited to be opening our first donor centre in Sunderland, where local people can help others by donating blood or plasma.
“The experience of our donors is at the heart of the space we are designing. There will be 16 chairs for people to donate plasma and three chairs for blood collection. In due course, we will also be advertising jobs for various roles in the centre, providing other opportunities for local people.”
A planning application was submitted earlier this year for the changes required to transform part of the building from office space into a dedicated healthcare facility, including alterations to the building’s entrance and the reconfiguration of the internal layout.
Maker & Faber were designed by award-winning North East architects Ryder providing a combined 150,000sq ft of office space in Sunderland city centre.
Development manager Landid oversaw the design and construction of the buildings on behalf of global institutional investor L&G.
The offices form part of a £100m commitment L&G made to Riverside Sunderland.
Mike Coplowe, Head of Commercial Development and Regeneration at L&G, said: “Health facilities such as this are increasingly making their way onto our high streets, tapping into the benefits that come with being based in highly accessible, busy places, with supporting amenity close by. We’re thrilled that Faber will become home to this new facility, when it opens its doors to the public next year.”
Maker & Faber are now home to Just Eat, DWP and NHS Blood and Transplant, with just 61,329 sq ft remaining.
James Silver, Managing Director at Landid, said: “We’re delighted to welcome NHS Blood and Transplant to Faber.
“Maker & Faber were designed with flexibility in mind, and it’s great to see that being put into practice with NHS Blood and Transplant taking space within the building to deliver a service that will do so much good for people right across the country.
“The arrival of a new occupier is a positive milestone for Faber, and this facility will bring a very different use to the development while making the most of its prominent ground floor location. We look forward to seeing the space transformed and welcoming our new occupiers to Faber.”
Councillor James Jackson, portfolio holder for housing, business and regeneration at Sunderland City Council said: “It’s fantastic to see Faber welcoming an occupier that will provide such an important service to people across the city and the UK.
“Riverside Sunderland is creating a new, vibrant part of the city centre and bringing additional essential services such as this into the area will continue to drive footfall and provide a boost to local traders.”
He added: “Our investment in Riverside Sunderland – together with investment from our key partners - is helping to create high-quality sustainable spaces that can accommodate a diverse range of occupiers and uses. The blood donor centre is a great example of this flexibility and complements the other health facilities that have opened recently in our city centre.”
The arrival of NHS Blood and Transplant adds another important community-focused occupier to the development and will complement the nearby Eye Hospital which opened its doors earlier this year.
Both facilities are publicly accessible, bringing health on the high street, to ensure those who need to access them can tap into the parking and public transport links that come with being based in the city centre.