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Finding a home for the Midlands Campus


In May 2025, we selected our preferred location

Capacity

The site will be able to comfortably accommodate up to 25 veterans and care-leavers and host up to 150 for outreach. There is space to engage with nature.

Location

The site is in the West Midlands and within 15 minutes of a mainline rail station, 12 minutes of a major transport intersection and with connections to site.

Storytelling

The site is has a wonderful story to tell. It holds heritage relevant to Ignis Lodge providing the opportunity to be dutiful stewards.  

Which sites were considered?

Since October 2024, the Ignis Lodge team have been actively seeking suitable site for the Midlands Campus which meets the criteria from the September 2024 research.  The team have considered two sites which included one site currently vacant on Government Estate. 

The first site on Government Estate is held within an arms-length body and has been vacant for some time. It is located within easy reach of transport connections and would require minimal fitout work. The agency are currently having to spend money in securing and maintaining the site in a dormant state. Ignis Lodge engaged with both the relevant department and the agency directly with the assistance of a local constituency MP and minister. We held initially encouraging and positive interactions with the agency who seem interested in the Ignis Lodge proposition. Unfortunately, the agency were not forthcoming in sharing the information we would require to secure funding either as a purchase or as a lease. We therefore concluded, reluctantly, to cease pursuing the option. We have been asked to reveal more information but, as a professional courtesy, we have chosen not to reveal the location or the agency at this time. 

The second site is within private ownership and of significant national significance with a story that can weave smoothly into that of Ignis Lodge. The Ignis Lodge team have visited the site on two occasions and following a board decision in May, it has become our preferred site. There are works required to bring the site into use and to remediate some works undertaken by the previous occupier. A fully costed plan for a capital works programme has been prepared and stakeholders have received updates, in confidence, about this site. Negotiations with the landowner are underway and we hope to conclude them during July. The Ignis Lodge team are excited at the prospect of this site becoming our first campus in the Midlands. As we do not wish to prejudice the negotiation process, we have agreed to maintain confidentiality for the time being.  We hope to share more updates following a meeting of the Ignis Lodge board on 27 August 2025. 

In June 2025, the board approved a proposed capital programme for the preferred site in the Midlands