The last 6 weeks or so have seen lots of activity in The Commons. At the end of September we had our last push at clearing out the building, in October the builders arrived and we also set our feet dancing to celebrate the beginning of the next part of the vision for The Commons.

Clear out day involved skips and wheelbarrows and a lot of muscle power from a team of volunteers who represented some of the different groups who call The Commons ‘home’. I took photos to use for before and after references, and saw rooms I hadn’t even seen before. Looking at the building from outside is a deceptive perspective because inside the spaces just keep going. So much potential for all that lies ahead.

In mid October the builders arrived! Now the building wears a new overcoat of safety fences and safety signs. At each turn of your eye you can see evidence of activity – high vis jackets, hard hats, mugs, architects’ plans, ladders, and even heavy plant equipment spending its weekends in what used to be the kitchen. There has been a lot of tearing down, but in a wonderful way that reveals even more of the beauty of this building – long hidden windows, vaulted ceilings, rich timber and brick face. In this very short space of time, not only is there stripping back, there is also building up and creating new things. Little glimmers of what is to come in the next part of this building’s life on the Ormeau Road.

One of the very special things about this project is that the building is still being used every day. We haven’t closed the doors until the project is done. They are flung wide and welcoming to so many who make up the community in this area. Since the summer a homework club has been launched, peace vigils have taken place on the front steps, the TukTuk has taken up residence on a Monday and Friday, and Jane has started improv sessions – this is alongside the already well established regular activities. Check out this month’s calendar via the link at the top of this page and keep an eye on our Instagram page for any updates.

You’ll remember that back in April we launched the vision of The Commons before the work had even started. It’s a bit of a back to front approach – most projects have a big party to announce things when all the work has been done. So in true Commons style, we celebrated the arrival of the builders and the beginning of the work with a ceili in what will eventually be The Ceili House. Lots of you came from different groups who use The Commons already – it was such a fun (and exhausting) night of music, laughter and dancing.