St Matthews House is a grade 2 listed building next to St Matthews Church on Carver Street. It has been a hidden gem at the heart of Sheffield for over 150 years. It was built to serve the densely populated slums and “mesters” workshops which made up the area, providing a school and social welfare for local people living in abject poverty.
It is now sadly crumbling, with such poor accessibility that only the ground floor can be used. Two years ago the congregation decided to do something about it and started a project to refurbish the house so that it is relevant to the needs of people in the 21st century.
This month they heard fantastic news that their application for a £740,000 European grant has been approved and they have almost reached the total of £1.5m necessary to begin work. The new St Matthews House will be a centre for Arts, Creativity and Well-being. It will contain a café, a community pottery, high quality meeting space and art workshops: providing a place where everyone can be renewed by the therapeutic and social magic of art.
