YMCA Community & Activity Village

The project was planned over three phases. The first featured the construction of two 3G sports pitches and an athletics track, with temporary office, changing and catering facilities. 

The second, most significant phase was a new building, featuring a nursery, education rooms, fitness suite, café, function hall, changing rooms and offices, as well as one of Europe’s largest indoor climbing walls – stimulating new programmes and opportunities for local people. The final phase created a cycle track and soft landscaping.

We were appointed as project management and cost consultants, leading this large development from inception to completion, against the backdrop of the pandemic. 

This saw the Pulse Consult team meticulously planning the project’s complex phasing, leading a collaborative tender process, working with due diligence surveyors and giving the YMCA cost advice to successfully fundraise for the development. 

We used structured project governance and communication to keep everyone on the same page as the project progressed, building positive relationships with the client and contractors. This included specialist installers for the fitness suite and climbing wall.

• Project management consultancy
• Procurement advice & management
• Project programming & planning
• Stakeholder management
• Value management
• Risk management
• Project governance
• Employer’s agent
• Quantity surveying & cost consultancy
• Measurement, estimation & costing
• Main contract tendering & tender analysis
• Contract documentation
• Contract administration
• Feasibility studies
• Cost control (pre & post)

The collaborative approach meant the project was delivered successfully, despite its many complexities. Our cost consultants navigated large post-contract design changes, conducting extensive value engineering to bring the client real value for money.

The end result is a sustainable, energy-efficient community facility that’s a real asset to the YMCA. It enhances Newark’s leisure infrastructure and is bringing local people together in an inclusive environment, fostering a stronger, more cohesive community.

It’s become a hub for youth activities, creating supportive spaces, nurturing young people’s development and offering alternatives to antisocial behaviour. Meanwhile, the sports and wellbeing facilities are helping people of all ages live more active lives, and the village is home to educational, mental health and support services addressing real social needs.

Finally, both during construction and once the doors opened, the development has created new jobs for local people, as well as valuable volunteering opportunities that enable them to develop skills, build experience and genuinely give back to their community.