A BRIEF HISTORY OF GGIFT
GGIFT
GGIFT was founded in July 2010 in response to a series of public meetings, arranged by the Grimsby, Cleethorpes & District Civic Society, to draw attention to the plight of the Grimsby Ice Factory and historic dock peninsula, known locally as the Kasbah. It has no connection to GY 1900 Ltd which has owned the Grimsby Ice Factory since 2020.
The Ice Factory is a Grade II* listed building, having been spot listed when it ceased production in July 1990, and was about to be demolished. For the ensuing 20 years the owners, Associated British Ports (ABP) were unable find a use for the building. Bearing in mind that the Factory – the “largest ice factory in the world” – has a footprint of 1.1 acres, interior space equivalent to a superstore, and still retains all its ice-making machinery, this was not an easy building to repurpose. In the meantime, as the building deteriorated, it became in the minds of many, an eyesore.
In 2010 ABP and the local authority, North East Lincolnshire Council (NELC), had jointly commissioned two studies – an Appraisal of the Existing Structure and a Conservation Statement. These studies were expected to underpin an application to (then) English Heritage to have the building de-listed, so that it could at last be got rid of.
The public meetings revealed that local people were evenly split on the question of whether or not the building should be demolished. The founding members of the Trust were moved firstly to protect the local heritage, and secondly to kick start culture-led regeneration in Grimsby.
When the two reports were eventually made public, we learned that the building was actually quite stable, and that its significance was high, and ABP told us that if we could find a use for the building, they would allow us to have it. Between July and December 2010 we held meetings, explored ideas, and formed a steering committee to take these forward.
Late in 2010 it was our great good fortune to come into contact with the Prince’s Regeneration Trust (PRT), who visited Grimsby for the first time in January 2011. This was the start of a long and supportive relationship that ended only when PRT was absorbed into the Prince’s Foundation in 2018.
National and international organisations that have funded, mentored, and engaged with GGIFT also include:
The Architectural Heritage Fund
National Lottery Heritage Fund
The Pilgrim Trust
The LG Harris Trust
The Prince’s Foundation for the Built Environment
Historic England
The Council for British Archaeology
All these organisations have supported our efforts not just to find a new use for the Ice Factory, but to change local perceptions of our maritime built heritage from “eyesore” to “asset”.
Other groups who have expressed their support include:
Lincolnshire Heritage
Civic Voice
The Enrolled Freemen of Grimsby
Grimsby Institute
Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology
the Institute of Refrigeration
East Marsh Community Trust
Gradually Then Suddenly
After seven years of networking and advocacy, including an unsuccessful bid to the (then) Heritage Lottery Fund for a mixed-use solution for the Ice Factory, our efforts were rewarded.
In August 2017, PRT invited us to bid for a £2 million pot of funding which was being made available in celebration of Prince Charles’s 70th birthday. GGIFT, ABP, and NELC came together for the first time to discuss potential projects, and fixed upon Peterson’s Smokehouse on Henderson Street, with three additional buildings on Wharncliffe Road. ABP agreed to grant a 99 year lease to GGIFT, on the condition that any profits from the commercial letting of the buildings would be ploughed back into further regeneration projects within the Kasbah. A partnership was born, with a template for future projects.
GGIFT is a member of the Kasbah Steering Group.
GGIFT is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee.
Vicky Hartung (Chair)
Vicky Hartung was born in Cleethorpes and spent her early years on Freeman Street in Grimsby’s East Marsh where her mother had a dress shop. She attended Grimsby Art School in the late 1960’s, before leaving town to study piano at the Royal College of Music in London. An early rescue project was Elgar’s holiday retreat, Brinkwells, in West Sussex. A preindustrial cottage set in ancient woodlands, Brinkwells has no parallels with the Grimsby Ice Factory, other than that successfully bringing it back into use depended upon combining respect for the building with a strong determination that difficulties will be overcome. Vicky moved to the USA in the early 80’s, where she continued teaching and performing, and became licensed to practise real estate in Washington D.C. and Virginia. During this period she acted as chair of the Arlington Public Schools Arts Committee, was cofounder of “Spotlight on Arlington Schools”, a parent newsletter, and was influential in developing a county-wide solution to inequalities between middle schools. Vicky returned to Grimsby in 2006, and in 2007 opened a contemporary fine art gallery on Brighowgate, Gate Gallery. The Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust was formed in 2010, and much of Vicky’s time has been devoted to the project since.
Graeme Bassett (Secretary)
SGraeme is a former Civil servant, from Cleethorpes. He has a business degree, and is Treasurer of the Grimsby, Cleethorpes and District Civic Society. He and Vicky were the first trustees of GGIFT, and Graeme has devoted a lot of energy to gathering and disseminating information on the technical and scientific history of the Ice Factory, working with historians and refrigeration professionals.
Roy Horobin (Trustee)
Roy studied Modern History at Queen’s University Belfast and completed his teacher training at Hull University. He started teaching History to 11-18 years olds at Matthew Humberstone School in Cleethorpes. Roy lives in Cleethorpes with his wife and teenage children. As a History teacher he has been involved in local history and community groups to bring his subject alive. It was therefore a natural progression for Roy to become interested in the Grimsby Ice Factory. He was attracted to the building because of its historical importance but also its beauty and remarkable location. For him the historic docks of Grimsby are an area dripping with exceptional potential. Roy’s key skills are innovative ideas, an enthusiasm for engagement with the local community, an understanding of campaigning and local politics. Within days of becoming a Trustee of the Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust it became really apparent that winning over support from the local council was crucially important. This has led to Roy becoming extensively involved with local and national politics. A key idea for Roy is that local politicians need to promote and work with local groups to make great things happen.
Emilie Wales (Trustee)
BA (Hons), Associate IHBC, has 5 years experience as a Conservation Officer and is currently completing an MSc in Building Conservation. Whilst working at NELC, she wrote the successful ‘Discover Cleethorpes’ Townscape Heritage bid (total project of £2.9m) and secured the Greater Grimsby Heritage Action Zone, including adoption of the Kasbah as a Conservation Area. Emilie served an Urgent Works Notice at Victoria Mills Silo, Grimsby and monitored the subsequent £2.1m of works in default.
Jon Wilcox (Trustee)
Jon is a Chartered Surveyor from Cheshire, who until recently was the Principal Surveyor for the area, working for ENGIE in partnership with NELC. He was the lead on the rescuing and repair of Victoria Mills, Grimsby as well as championing other local projects such as the Cycle Hub, Cleethorpes, created from the original ticket office and the new Swimming Pool, Grimsby. Prior to coming to the area, Jon worked on heritage projects such as the Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester and the refurbishment of Liverpool Museum and the Walker Art Gallery. As well as new projects such as FACT Liverpool (a digital art facility and cinema). Jon was also a Partnering Advisor for the Ministry of Justice, including the first BREEAM excellent prison in Nottingham. Jon brings a wealth of experience of delivering challenging projects in a collaborative manner and a passion for historic buildings.