Our vision at The Tech is to:

The Tech is the new incarnation of Holmfirth Technical Institute which has had a number of different uses since its inception in 1894.  (Click here to read about the history of the Tech)  Having been quietly empty and hardly used since 2011, the building has morphed into its latest role - Holmfirth's creative hub.

In 2018 a group of local people put a business case to Kirklees College and set up Holmfirth Tech Ltd (HTL), an exempt charitable Community Benefit Society, with the intent of bringing the building back 'Holme'.  We re-opened The Tech in June 2018 and since then, its use has steadily grown.  A rich programme of activities ran for people of all ages and diverse interests, CoWorkers worked happily in the co-working space and a local business rented office space.

Then the pandemic forced the doors to close again.  

In May 2020, we completed the legal processes and became the owners of The Tech.  A deposit and the first instalment of the agreed purchase was paid, leaving £107,500 to be paid by May 2022.

During the lockdown, The Tech acted as the community anchor, co-ordinating the efforts of local people and groups to support those who needed help.  We administered the Holme Valley South Emergency Hardship Fund and worked with Third Sector Leaders and the Council to ensure the right support was provided in the right way.

We re-opened in a Covid-safe way, started to build up the activities with some new ones added and introduced Links@TheTech, a signposting service.  Then in November we closed again ..... and re-opened at the start of December!

We have lots of exciting plans for 2021 and will start the new year by launching the community share offer on 25 January 2021.  This will encourage people in Holmfirth and the Holme Valley (and anyone else who shares our vision) to be part of The Tech and share its ownership.  Shared ownership and the asset lock^* contained in our rules mean that the building will remain the property of local people.  The funds raised from the sale of shares will pay Kirklees College the second installment and contribute to refurbishing the building.  

Supporters

^*An asset lock is a constitutional device that prevents the distribution of residual assets to members. The purpose of an asset lock is to ensure that the public benefit or community benefit of any retained surplus or residual value cannot be appropriated for the private benefit of members.