The Phoenix Village Project

Recognising that current social and education systems are failing an increasing number of disadvantaged young adults, Marksteen took on the biggest challenge of his career and created the vision for a state-of-the-art, self-sustaining hub that will marry innovative businesses with local service providers in a collaborative collective to inspire, engage, teach and mentor disenfranchised young adults.

When realised, The Phoenix Village will be a dynamic hub of innovation, a creative collision between like-minded, socially conscious businesses and social services. The project will provide young people with the space, resources and inspiration for professional, creative and personal development. Work placements and taster apprenticeships will be part of the project, including pioneering thinking in the fields of craft, design and production. Guided by professionals, young people will have the opportunity to learn skills vital to our future circular economies. For example, upcycling plastics, wood, textiles and metal into desirable, marketable products. Plans include housing a music and film recording studio, a café, an artisan bakery, as well as rooftop horticulture.

The project will also provide affordable accommodation under the same roof – breaking away from a stark abyss into entirely new territory – surrounding young people with an immediate community in a thriving, inspiring and nurturing environment.

The operating structure will be powered by a regenerative economic model – The Giving Share. The model is based on the idea of creating an attractive and creatively curated home for commercial businesses that pay a contribution to the project to provide a sustainable economic model for social services to operate. Similar economic programmes have existed in parts of Europe and Scandinavia for decades. However, adding in the idea of incorporating the businesses themselves as part of the social services package will take this Gloucestershire model to a completely new level.

What's next?

In 2024, we reached a major milestone for The Phoenix Village – Gloucester City Council agreed to provide a 250,000 sq ft site for our project! This includes transforming the historic Fleece Hotel and options for the condemned Longsmith Street Car Park into a vibrant community and business hub right in the heart of the city. It’s been an incredible journey since we first pitched the idea in 2019, and the council’s enthusiastic support in 2022 has brought us closer to making this vision a reality.

The project will unite talented people from arts, science, technology, and engineering backgrounds who are already running small businesses. The Phoenix Village aims to regenerate the historic Fleece Hotel on Westgate Street, which has been empty since 2002, and the Longsmith Street Car Park too.

Councillor Richard Cook, Leader of Gloucester City Council, said: “This is an exciting and really worthwhile project aimed at making a real difference to the lives of our young people. We know how challenging it is for young people today and many of them need a helping hand to be able to turn things around. Not only could this scheme make good use of a much loved historic building but it will hopefully become a destination and another part of the massive regeneration taking place across our city.”

Marksteen Adamson, Founder and CEO of The Phoenix Village, said: “Many young people today are lost and have little hope. The Phoenix Village has been created to provide purposeful activity, accommodation, training, and support. The programme will be focused on Creative, Professional, and Personal development. It’s a proven holistic approach that delivers practical solutions for Mind body and Soul.

We will bring in new technology partners to give young people the opportunity to innovate for the future. If we want to see less crime in our cities, we need to give young people hope, opportunity and purposeful activity to make them grow in confidence, equipped with life skills, and enable them to become productive members of society. We’re not here to make a million. We want to reach a million young people.”

The Fleece Hotel was first opened in 1497 as one of the three inns for pilgrims visiting the tomb of Edward II. The site includes part of a Grade I listed 12th century vaulted undercroft and Great Inn. It closed as a hotel in 2002 and ownership passed to the council in 2011 that has since invested £350,000 to protect the buildings.

Since the project's inception, Marksteen Adamson, founder and CEO, has been building a large team of creatives, mentors, professionals, and care providers, while developing a network of key delivery partners and supporters who believe in the project and want to be part of it. This new model provides real hope for changing and transforming lives and moves away from the traditional dependency on government and charitable donations.

If you feel the same about this vision and you would like to get involved or support the project, you can contact us@thephoenixvillage.com We would love to hear from you.