20-year deal secures future of historic Rainford Hall

Steps Together Group, a private residential and outpatient health, wellbeing and addiction service, has secured a 20-year lease at Rainford Hall, St Helens.

This will provide a luxury residential retreat, offering 19 guest rooms, wellbeing services and therapy programmes for those suffering with addiction, stress, depression and anxiety.

Set to open in early 2022, Rainford Hall sits within an historic country estate surrounded by manicured gardens and beautiful woodland built by the Pilkington Family as their main home in 1885.

Working with principal contractor A P Mitchell and St Helens construction company TJM Projects, with the interior designed by the highly acclaimed James Roberts Interiors of Chester, Steps Together has vowed to safeguard the original stunning features within the Victorian Mansion and is undertaking a programme of upgrades and modernisations to offer superior hotel-style accommodation.

Additional services will include a purpose built, fully equipped gymnasium with a health & wellbeing spa, and two dedicated beauty rooms. A full health and therapy programme will be available ranging from a short residential stay to longer retreats, with treatments available to help with the impact of COVID on mental health and addiction, as well as providing long term after care support.

Steve Jones, deputy chief executive of Steps Together, said: “Rainford Hall is the perfect environment for our work, and we are delighted to be working alongside our local contractors to sympathetically convert the hall for our business needs. During the coming months we will be working closely to further develop relationships with local suppliers and support local businesses.

“We are also excited to find new and innovative ways to support our health care and NHS colleagues ensuring their patients are able to secure excellent private treatment at Steps Together.”

Steps Together, established since 2017, operate a collection of successful centres in Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. Already providing a vital network of support and services that transform the lives of those living with addiction, clients include sports personalities, professional executives and individual family members.

Darren Rolfe, Steps Together chief executive, said: “Throughout the last three years, Steps Together have seen an unprecedented demand for our range of treatment services from countless families across the North West of England. I am delighted that we have been welcomed by the Pilkington family and been able to secure such a fantastic property in the area, which will allow us to respond to the needs of many families, businesses, and individuals living under the destructive shadow of addiction in 2022.”

Jeremy Pilkington, director of Rainford Hall Estate, said: “We‘re delighted that the future of this important heritage asset has been safeguarded. The 20-year lease will secure the long term maintenance of the hall and grounds and mean that the site remains in the family. Steps Together provides a vital network of support, transforming the lives of those living with addiction and we’re pleased that the Steps Together Group has chosen our hall as its new location in the North West.”

Steve Jones, left, and Darren Rolfe

James Goddard, commercial property partner in the Chester office of SAS Daniels, said: “We‘ve advised Rainford Hall Estate for the past six years and the new agreement is a major development, guaranteeing the future of the hall alongside the wider estate. In the past, the building has always been let as office space on short term lease agreements, but the securing of this 20-year lease to one tenant demonstrates long term commitment to this important building.”

Property consultancy Fisher German advised on the letting and is managing agent for Rainford Hall Estate.

Richard Baker, of Fisher German, said: “We have been managing agents for Rainford Hall Estate since 2008 and this is an excellent opportunity to secure the future of the hall. It’s clear that the commercial office market has moved away from this kind of building, so there needed to be a new approach, and our commercial team was able to look beyond the traditional tenant and provide a solution which met the long term objectives of both the estate and Steps Together.”