Steve Rotheram has officially opened a state of the art health, social care and mental health training facility and Life Rooms on the site of a former Catholic Church in Bootle.

The transformation of St Winefrides was funded with £3.9m from the Local Growth Fund (LGF). LGF funding is awarded to the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and invested through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s Strategic Investment Fund.

The funds provided by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority have been used to transform the main church into a Health Training Hub, which includes an innovative simulation ward complete with realistic and responsive dummy patients and state-of-art learning environments that will be a base for level 1 to 6 health, social care and mental health training.

On the site of the Church’s former presbytery, a brand new building now houses the third of Mersey Care’s innovative Life Rooms. The Life Rooms Bootle will offer a range of community, social and learning programmes and services to support positive mental health and wellbeing. Additionally, it provides safe spaces and welcoming environments, with access to community resources.

The Life Rooms offers real practical support for those wanting to take the next steps in their life journey, whatever those steps may be. The Life Rooms will play a key role in supporting Hugh Baird in strengthening the resilience and wellbeing of its student community as well as offering its full range of mental health support to the residents of South Sefton.

Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor, said:

“The Combined Authority exists to help transform our city region for the better and encourage inclusive economic growth that benefits us all.  This exciting new facility will do just that, by helping our young people to develop the skills they need to thrive in the 21^st century, and I am very proud that we are able to support it.”