On her four-year anniversary of being at the helm of The Common Room, we caught up with Chief Executive Liz Mayes to hear the story behind the redevelopment of one of Newcastle's most heritage-packed buildings.
The Common Room was once known to most as The Mining Institute and it was built in the 1800s as the headquarters for the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. How would you describe the experience of renovating such a landmark building?
I know it’s a cliché, but it really has been a rollercoaster. The learning curve has been immense but we’ve worked with so many great people who were an extension of our core team – like Gardiner & Theobald, our Project Managers, and Brian Debnam, who was Coordinating Consultant until July 2019. I learned so much from working with them and they made it possible to achieve what we have. The pandemic took us back to square one in terms of finances and we had to work out how we could survive the delay in opening and function within a massively changed economy.
We were originally meant to open in November 2020 and we ended up opening this July, which feels like a relatively short delay considering the world had turned upside down. It’s a tribute to the resilience and focus of the team that we got through it and opened the doors. And also to the ongoing support of The National Lottery Heritage Fund without which none of this would have happened.
What’s the vision behind the redevelopment of the former Mining Institute, and why do you think Newcastle needed a space like The Common Room?
The vision is to use our unique heritage to inspire the next generation of innovators and engineers. We want to create a hub for innovation in our region. To profile the great things happening here today and inspire the next generation, but also to celebrate the achievements of the past and preserve the North East’s rich heritage in engineering.
In its heyday this building was a world centre of excellence for engineering during the industrial revolution and it feels right that we’ve brought it back to its original purpose.
As a former employee at the CBI and Make UK, which champions engineering and manufacturing, what attracted you to apply for the role of Chief Executive at The Common Room?
In my previous roles, I spent 15 years getting to know the North East engineering and manufacturing sectors and I knew we can struggle to recruit young people into these industries. I felt like The Common Room could make a difference and I was sold on its vision.
How will The Common Room support North East engineering businesses?
Our location can’t be beaten when it comes to helping businesses meet the next generation of engineers and innovators. Manufacturing and engineering can be hidden from view on trading estates and that can be part of the reason why young people might not know it exists as a career option. So being in the city centre, and providing a space for the business community to use, feels really fitting. Which have been the first event bookings for the new space? In August we hosted our first wedding and it was exactly as we’d hoped. We set high standards for ourselves and it wasn’t without its stressful moments but on the day, looking at all the wedding guests enjoying themselves was pretty special. We held a conference in the summer for NA College, which provides training for many of Nissan’s apprentices, and in autumn we’re the mothership venue for Northumbrian Water’s Innovation Festival, which is running as a hybrid this year. This month is also our Face of Engineering LIVE event. It’s a spin-off from our podcast series where we interview women engineers about their careers.
How can businesses get involved?
We’ll be running more industry takeover days as the ones we did this summer went so well. These give engineering businesses the chance to use the building to meet the public, bring some activities – we’ve had all sorts of things going on, like virtual welding experiences – and show people the kinds of opportunities that exist within their business.
We want people to feel a sense of ownership of the building so if people tell us there’s something in particular they want to see happening at The Common Room, we will listen.
It can be a place someone comes on a school visit. It can be somewhere apprentices use as part of their training. It’s a space for businesses and it’s a building where people can socialise and celebrate. Basically it’s a home for the community that surrounds it.