BY Sam Walker | Wednesday 16 July 2025
In November 2021, Hull City Council was awarded £19.5m of government funding to ‘level up’ the city centre through supporting infrastructure, bringing vacant buildings back into and deliver a package of regeneration works.
The council allocated a portion of this to create a new grant scheme which aimed to bring unused floorspace of any vacant or partially occupied property back into use and to create jobs.
This is exactly what has happened – and then some – at ResQ, an outsourcing solutions business based in the Hammonds of Hull building.
In spring 2023, ResQ was awarded £750,000 of grant funding as part of an expansion project in the region of £3 million.
The funding was used to refurbish the second floor including the creation of office and reception areas with new doors, walls, handrails and fob-controlled entry/exits, as well as the installation of new electrics, plumbing and heating and decoration throughout.
Up to 300 jobs were expected to be created as a result of the project, whilst 3,213sqm of unused floorspace was taken and a heritage building restored.
Nic Marshall, executive chairman of ResQ, said: “We moved into Hammonds of Hull, an iconic building in the city centre, in August 2021 and straight away recognised that a lot of work was needed to bring it up to standard.
“We had an idea of how we wanted to do that, however we had a slight shortfall in our own capital to make it happen at the pace we would have liked.
“The council’s grant scheme was there, so we put our case forward and thankfully we were successful.
“Without the council’s grant, we wouldn’t have been able to progress as quickly as we have in recent years.”
Following second floor refurbishment, ResQ was able to expand further onto the third and now fourth floors.
Gill Marchbank, chief executive officer, added: “We’re now onto the third and fourth floors, with the fourth floor being a full training area and a mezzanine for staff to take their lunch and breaks.
“We’ve employed around 600 new people at ResQ since receiving the grant funding from the council.
“We’ve been able to implement careers training as well, meaning career progression is now an option for our staff and our turnover rate is much lower compared to others in our sector.”
In total, more than £8 million has been granted to business in Hull through the scheme, revitalising the city centre and bringing around £13 million of private investment.
Almost 900 jobs have been created, more than 18,000 square metres of empty floor space back into use and 19 dilapidated buildings restored, of which 14 were of heritage status.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, the council’s portfolio holder for economic renewal, housing and organisational development, said: “ResQ is a fantastic example of the potential which this grant scheme can unlock.
“When House of Fraser vacated the Hammonds of Hull building, it left the city centre with a huge void to fill.
“ResQ’s investment has created hundreds of jobs and had a secondary impact on the city centre with additional footfall, boosting the economy.”
