Welcome to the Strutts Community Project web site.

Memories of Herbert Strutt School

The 'Reflections 1909-2009' DVD takes you on an exploratory journey through the memories and history of this wonderful building. Listen to 'Dixie' Dean, amongst other, tell some of his stories, at 106 he is the oldest know link to the building. Find out things you didn't know about the school and its history. Brows through dozens of photographs from the private collections of many of the former pupils and local historians; see the year photos and see some of the forgotten gems within the building.

In fact to enjoy the DVD in all its glory, just use this form or come to reception at Strutts and get your copy for £12.95.

We have the space for you

We are finally in possession of the old Strutts School and we are open for business. In line with the wishes expressed in the original covenant we have started to open the building for all sorts of activities. Everybody is welcome to come along hire our rooms and organise all kinds of events and activities. As well as social and community activities we welcome businesses into the building to present exhibitions and have meetings, in fact you can organise almost anything that is legal and does not interfere with others within the building.

Our three web sites are relatively quiet at this time for all sorts of reasons; these range from a lack of time because we are completely run by volunteers to a self imposed restriction which only allows us to publicise something happening in the building once we have permission.

The other two sites can be found at:

If you want free publicity on this web site tell us when you book your room or if you already have a booking get in contact and tell us about your club or event and we will do our best.

As I write this we are already open mornings and evenings on weekdays with occasional weekend openings but as bookings come in we are opening more and more. We are in the process of drawing up a calendar and that will appear here real soon, so why not:

Come along hire a room and do you thing at Strutts

Strutts Centenary Dance

On behalf of the Belper Strutts Society thank you to everybody who came to the dance and made it such a huge success a truly great night was had by all.

On Saturday 28th November the Belper Strutts Society are holding a dance to celebrate the Strutts Centenary in the Main Hall with live music and a licensed bar from 8pm to 11.30pm. The ticket price includes a pie and pea supper and a chance to win a Christmas Hamper with a lucky ticket to be drawn on the night.

Come and dance all evening to Mike Graham Music and watch a dance display by Strut Your Stuff. Tickets can be purchased from the Telegraph News Shop on Kings St or from Strutts at £8. Members of of the Belper Strutts Society are entitle to a £1 discount on the ticket price.

Centenary Celebrations

Thursday evening at 6.30pm close on three hundred people gathered in “STRUTTS” to celebrate the centenary of the building.

Derwent Brass and Rough Truffles provided a wonderful musical accompaniment to the gathering and reminiscences of the old school pupils, whilst those who had never attended as pupils explored the rooms, nooks and crannies of this wonderful old building.

Belper Historic Society provided a display of Belper photographs and memorabilia which focused particularly on the school and its history.

Dixie Dean the oldest living ex-pupil sat in the hall and discussed his memories with a number of generations of pupils who all have differing memories of their school days.

The clock was rewound and restarted as one of the prizes in the raffle and caused great excitement as the chimes rang out for the first time; an old friend, a marker back in the life of those who live locally.

The life that was breathed back into the old girl was wonderful and points the great future the building holds as “STRUTTS”. (7th April 2009)

Poster now available for the celebration event on Thursday 7th May.

Come and Celebrate!

An evening event on Thursday 7th May will mark the centenary of the former Herbert Strutt School on Derby Road in Belper and celebrate the future of the Grade II listed building as a business and community centre.

The doors will open at 7pm and there will be lots to see and do on the evening, starting with a complimentary drink. There will be an exhibition by Belper Historical Society, a performance by Rough Truffles (community choir), a raffle, and the chance to look round this interesting building as many rooms will be open to view.

A volunteer committee of Strutts Society members has organised the event to open the doors of the building to the community. “We really hope lots of people come on the night and enjoy the surroundings of this beautiful building, the exhibitions and performances as well as support the Strutts Community Project. There will also be the opportunity to find out more about future plans. Everyone is welcome, whether you are an ex-pupil, a local resident, or just interested in having a look round.” commented Jessica Saunders.

Local film company Treacle City Films of Milford, is currently planning a documentary about Strutts and its centenary. They will be in attendance on the night to gather stories from people who have links with the school and have asked for people to bring any photos, school reports, films, school uniform or any other memorabilia to show them.

To promote this event, Belper’s Town Crier Terry Porter will be announcing it on Saturday 2nd May around the town.

Almost 100 people have already become members of the Strutts Society and there will be an opportunity to join on the night.

The Strutts Community Project has received many kind donations from local companies to assist with the preparation work currently happening in the building including Deb Chemicals, D.S. Smith Packaging, Nelson Distribution, Pennine Plant & Tool Hire, Fresh Basil and Chesterfield Adult Community Education Centre, plus a recent donation of £1000 from Councillor Joyce Sanders. (28 April 2009)

Councillor Joyce Sanders Donates to Strutts Society

A donation of £1000 will be made to the Strutts Society from Councillor Joyce Sanders on Tuesday 7th April at 7.00pm during the Society’s weekly committee meeting.

The donation is from the Derbyshire County Council’s Members Community Fund which enables each County Councillor to donate to local projects in their area. As a member for Belper, Councillor Sanders, has already been involved in saving the Grade II listed building and has recognised that funds are vital for the ongoing project.

The donation is welcomed by the Strutts Society, who are currently preparing the old Herbert Strutt school building to be transformed into a Community and Business Centre. It has not yet been decided exactly what the money will be spent on, but it will help to take the whole project forward. (2 April 2009)


Centenary Celebration Marks New Era for Strutts

An evening celebration event on Thursday 7th May will mark the Centenary of the opening of the former Herbert Strutt School on Derby Road in Belper and the start of a new era for the Grade II listed building as a community and business centre.

The event will celebrate the future of the building that was built by George Herbert Strutt in 1909 to benefit the people of the town, and at the same time commemorate its Centenary.

The building ceased to be a school in February 2008 and just as the children and staff at the brand-new Herbert Strutt Primary School are celebrating their first year in their new state-of-the-art eco school building in Bargate, the Strutts Community Project Team have been busily working behind the scenes to secure the old former school building, which has lain empty ever since. On 16th February Derbyshire County Council gave the Governors of Strutts a licence to occupy the site and members of the Strutts Society wasted no time in starting work to prepare the site for future users. Derbyshire County Council propose to transfer the whole site to the Governors of Strutts in the near future.

According to local history books, when the school was officially opened on 7th May 1909 the local mills were closed and the streets packed with people to welcome the Duke of Devonshire who opened the school with an ornate golden key.

”It is a wonderful coincidence that as the school’s Centenary falls, a new era for the building is beginning.“ Commented Strutts Society Volunteer Coordinator Cynthia Maddock. “We have been delighted at the interest shown in the project so far, and its success depends on the generosity of local people and businesses. There are many opportunities for people to be part of the exciting plans we have for Strutts; by becoming a Member of the Strutts Society, donating time, money or resources, attending events or by hiring space in the building when we open.”

More details about the celebration event on Thursday 7th May will be announced shortly. Poster now available. Visit www.strutts.net for more information. (12 March 2009)

Extracts about the opening from the books ‘The Herbert Strutt School’ by Roland Sutton - the history master from the school, and the book ‘The Strutt Family.’

In the early months of 1909 arrangements began for the formal opening of the school. Mr Strutt issued personal invitations to virtually all the notables of the County to attend the opening ceremony and many of the humbler people of the district. 500 of these accepted. It was stated at a later date that there were probably more silk hats in evidence than have been seen on any subsequent occasion.

The weather was glorious; the mills were closed; the whole town was ‘en fete’ and beflagged; the church bells rang almost continuous peals; and dense and excited crowds thronged King Street and the Derby road to witness and cheer the arrival of the Duke of Devonshire at Belper Station where the express from Carlisle stopped especially for the Duke’s convenience. He was met by Mr Strutt and taken by car to the ceremony. On arrival at the school he was presented by the architects with a gold key bearing the County Arms in an engraved shield ‘The Herbert Strutt Higher Elementary School, Belper 1909’. A similar key was presented to Mr Strutt. Mr Strutt handed over his beautifully engrossed and bound Deed of Gift to Alderman Oakes, Chairman of the Derbyshire Education Committee. They were later able to look around the school or listen to the strains of the ‘ White Coon Banjo Team ’ before going to the River Gardens Pavilion for tea with Mr Strutt.

228 autographed the Visitors Book provided for the occasion and the next day members of the general public were invited to look round. More than 1000 attended, expressing their delight with the school and everything connected with it.

Public Meeting

The Belper Strutts Society is holding its first public meeting on Friday 16th January at St John‘s Chapel at 7:30pm.

At the meeting the society will give a presentation on the current state of the project and be looking for your ideas and help. In very broad terms the Society and the overall project are going to provide rooms to let to groups and societies of all types. To help make the project self sufficient some commercial tenants will also be using the building and it‘s that mix of commercial and community uses that will be different from most community projects.

As you might imagine with a large old grade two listed building the cost of maintaining the building and the overall site is not going to be trivial. However, with careful financial management we hope to make the project viable for the next one hundred years.

So please come along and let us know what you think!

STRUTTS - Wonderful news!

Another big step forward today, Tuesday 25th November 2008, the Belper Strutts Society was formed. Go to the Belper Strutts Society web site and read all about the society, its aims and objectives.

This organisation is at the heart of the community that will support, use and run the center. From there we can all help as volunteers, with events, fund raiser and keep track of our progress to opening the center.

A poster promoting Strutts can be downloaded and printed here. If you want to control the way the file is printed or want to print a number of copies, right click on the link and use “Save Link As...”. You will then be able to print the file normally.

The Councils Agree

Today Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council announced the lease of the old Herburt Strutt School. The intention is that the building will be used for community and commercial purposes and that it will be organised as an independent self-financing community enterprise. Today‘s lease is the first step in this process which simply allows the building to be used. Further steps will be necessary before the tenure of the building is finalised, however today‘s announcement is ground breaking news.

Without the expressions of support from the people who attended the open meetings or signed the petitions today simply would not have happened. So on behalf of everybody trying to make this work - Thank you.

If you know of any group, organisation or business looking for accommodation please contact us on the telephone or via the form on the contact page.

Finally, a plea from the heart; if you have the time and skills to give no matter how small please give. We have a building to clean, heat and repair so we can all use it soon. Oh! and did I say we also need your money.

Please watch this site and the press for future announcements about the public meetings to build the organisation, arrange management, organise work parties and fundraising for STRUTTS.

Read the press releases and what the press have said.

Thank you

The future and Why!

The Herbert Strutt School occupied magnificent buildings on the A6, just south of Belper town centre until March 2008. This web site has been set up by the Strutts Community Porject as part of its campaign to ensure that the buildings remain as a community asset in line with the wishes of Herbert Strutt who donated the school to the town 99 years ago. Our vision is for a self-financing community, education and training centre, to which we have given the working title "Strutts". It would also include some office development that would provide local employment and contribute to the costs. Overall Strutts would become an important focal point for the town and generate considerable benefit for everyone in the area.

The importance of the Strutt family and Belper has been recognised internationally since it is at the core of one of very few World Heritage Sites in Great Britain. The old school is an exceptionally fine building with many unique high quality architectural details.

The Students

Over the years hundreds of people have been educated in the Strutts School and large numbers of photographs have been taken. These photographs are dispersed amongst the many pupils and there children. We would like to collect as many of these pictures and the details that describe the time, place and people present. The idea is simple lets get a picture of every class and the name of every pupil.

News

The consultation period on the feasibility study has now closed, we have added our comments to yours by submitted them to Amber Valley, now we all need to be patent and await the next stage. The feasibility study sponsored by Amber Valley is still on-line so if you have not read it please do. If you have any comments please feel free to send them to us as when we go into negotiation all ideas will be useful.

This is a plea from the heart. If you have any interest in this building, its pupils, its history or the town of Belper and would like to help stop this building being sold off for housing then please get in contact. Your skills, knowledge and help may tip the balance and ensure that our objective is achieved!

The petition on the PMs web site has now ended and the results are available on the PMs web site.


  
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