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Birmingham's Very First Demonstrator Community Hub
Our Latest Project
Retrofit Demonstrator Building
As many of you may know, one of MECC’s buildings has been closed since March 2025 while undergoing a complete retrofit transformation. We recognise that the concept of retrofit can be difficult to fully understand through words alone, which is why we decided to convert the site into Birmingham’s own demonstrator building, allowing visitors to see and experience the process and its benefits in a practical way.
This project has been a long and carefully planned journey, focused on creating a modern, sustainable, and energy-efficient space for the community. We are proud to announce that the transformation is now complete and the demonstrator building has been successfully launched.
We've Finally Launched
On 17th September, MECC Trust proudly opened its first retrofitted building, marking a significant milestone for both our organisation and the wider community. The launch event brought together local residents, partner organisations, and dedicated volunteers, and we were honoured to welcome Lord Mayor Mr Zafar Iqbal, who officially declared the building open and recognised the importance of this achievement.
This facility is more than just a building — it serves as a vibrant community hub designed to host youth development programmes, advice and support services, skills training workshops, cultural initiatives, and health and wellbeing activities. Through these services, we aim to strengthen confidence, build practical skills, and foster meaningful community connections for individuals and families.
What makes this building extra special is that it has been retrofitted, meaning we’ve taken an existing structure and transformed it into a modern, sustainable, and energy-efficient space. Retrofitting allows us to reduce our environmental impact while creating a welcoming place for the community.
Some of the features include improved insulation and energy efficiency to lower running costs and reduce carbon emissions, upgraded lighting, heating, and ventilation systems to make the space more comfortable and eco-friendly, and thoughtful accessibility improvements so everyone can make use of the facilities.
We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to the Lord Mayor for attending the launch and supporting our vision. Their presence highlighted just how important this step is, not only for MECC Trust but for the wider community.
Finally, we want to thank our partners, volunteers, staff, and all those who joined us on the day for their continued support. This building truly belongs to the community, and we can’t wait to see it filled with life, learning, and connection in the months ahead.