A place commemorated in a Beatles song lives again as a visitor attraction and helps people with learning disabilities find work. Peter Rainford heads off to Liverpool
Beatles fans used to have to stand outside the red gates of Liverpool’s Strawberry Field. Now they can enter the grounds and gardens that inspired John Lennon to write the 1967 classic hit, Strawberry Fields Forever. The song title refers to a children’s home for girls run by the Salvation Army called Strawberry Field. Lennon lived nearby when he was growing up in Liverpool. The home closed in 2005. The Salvation Army, which has owned the site since 1934, decided to use the famous site in a new way and open its gates – which had not been on site since 2010 – to the public. There is a visitor exhibition, a cafe and a shop, and a space for spiritual reflection. Tours of the garden where Lennon used to play are offered. All money raised from tourism to the site goes towards Strawberry Field and the Steps to Work programme, which supports young adults aged 18-25 with learning difficulties or other barriers to employment through a training hub at the venue.
A way into work
Nationally, only 6%-7% of working-age adults with learning disabilities are in paid employment, although many more would like to be and, with the right support, could be. Alan Triggs, the Salvation Army’s Steps to Work programme manager, says: “Seeing our trainees grow and develop in terms of confidence, belief and selfesteem is truly amazing. As the first group start to enter the world of work and gain more independence, the spirit of Steps to Work is truly realised.” Most significantly, after completing the programme, three trainees have already been offered jobs. While training, Chris Higginson, 22, worked in three theatres in the Hope Street area of Liverpool – the Unity, the Hope Street Theatre and the Everyman. He has now been offered a job as an usher and general theatre assistant at the Everyman. “The Steps to Work programme is brilliant,” he says. “I’m a lot happier and more confident in myself now, and that is all thanks to the programme and the support the work coaches have given me. “I’m so happy that I’ve got a job, especially working at the Everyman Theatre because I like drama that much. I’m really made up. I’ve wanted to get a job for years.” The other two trainees have secured jobs at Liverpool FC and a local solicitor’s office. Thanks to a partnership with the City of Liverpool College and investment by local businesses and other organisations, Steps to Work offers a 12-18 month programme that combines education and work placements to ensure trainees are truly work ready. Trainees attend a work readiness course to provide them with the tools they need to gain independence, discover their potential and learn skills that will help them in the world of work. After this, they are encouraged to experience three separate work placements with support from their dedicated work coach. The programme has deliberately not sought out placements in advance with employers but, instead, tries to match the dreams and ideas of each trainee w
ith work experience that meets their aspirations. Julia Baird, John Lennon’s sister and honorary president of the Strawberry Field project, says: “I’ve been really impressed by the Salvation Army’s vision and now there is huge potential to make a real change in the lives of young people who will grow in the precious soil of Strawberry Field.” Salvation Army territorial commander, Commissioner Anthony Cotterill, says: “John Lennon found sanctuary here as a child and that’s exactly what we want to offer by opening the Strawberry Field gates for good. “We know thousands of Beatles fans already visit the site and we saw an opportunity to channel that interest into a responsible tourist attraction. “The Salvation Army ran a children’s home at Strawberry Field from 1936 until 2005, helping some of Liverpool’s most vulnerable children. Today, we are using Strawberry Field to give Liverpool’s young people a step onto the employment ladder. “I like to think that John Lennon would be pleased that his special association with Strawberry Field is being used in this way.” After 15 months on the Steps to Work programme at Strawberry Field, the first group graduated in January 2020. The graduation ceremony was led by the Steps to Work team and mission director Major Kathy Versfeld. Each graduate received a certificate from Baird, and more than 50 guests could find out how each trainee has been transformed by the programme.
What to see
In 2019, the red gates opened to the public for the first time; the centre is open every day. Attractions include a virtual Mellotron, where visitors can recreate the opening of Strawberry Fields Forever, and an interactive display – Strawberry Fields Nothing is Real – where visitors can explore stories with help from characters including Elvis Presley, as well as Lennon’s school friend Mike Hill. People can find out about life in the children’s home and about Salvation Army band, the Joystrings, who reached number 32 in the UK charts. The Imagine More Cafe serves locally sourced food. It has a ‘talking table’, where visitors can chat to a team member, providing a place to socialise. There is also meeting space for community charities. Toilets are fully accessible, meeting Changing Places standards. Visitors can also buy a coffee for someone in need to have later, as well as Strawberry Field memorabilia and items from local suppliers in the shop.
●●www.strawberryfieldliverpool.com/
Peter Rainford is a volunteer for the Steps to Work programme
