Henry Boot reaches NCCHT milestone
The construction firm has completed the main steel frame structure on the £17m National Centre for Child Health Technology, part of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park masterplanned by Scarborough Group International.
Featuring 300 tonnes of British steel, the frame uses cell beam technology, which reduces weight and embodied carbon while maintaining strong load-bearing capacity.
The next stage of construction will see metal decking laid across the beams, followed by the pouring of concrete to create the building’s four floors, due to complete mid-November.
The project is on track for its planned spring 2026 completion.
The project is being funded by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
The centre was jointly designed by HLM Architects and Whittam Cox Architects, with Ian Sanderson on planning.
It is part of the government’s 10-year strategy to move patient care out of hospitals and into community-based centres, to make better use of technology, and focus on sickness prevention, rather than cure.
Henry Boot held a steel-signing ceremony at the centre, which will span 43,000 sq ft once complete, with guests including Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield City Council, SYMCA, Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, and young people involved in the project.
A section of the signed steel will be preserved and permanently displayed within the completed Centre when it opens in 2026.
Lee Powell, managing director of Henry Boot, said: “The steel frame is the backbone of what will be a truly world-class facility, and it’s fitting that the people who will shape and benefit from this centre have had the opportunity to leave a lasting mark on it.
“Although we operate across Yorkshire, the East Midlands, and Teesside, our business was founded in Sheffield and we retain strong roots here.
“It’s a privilege to deliver this project in partnership with Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust. We’re not just building a facility, we’re helping to create a future where innovation, technology, and care combine to improve children’s lives across the UK and beyond.
Ruth Brown, chief executive of Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are building on 150 years of Sheffield Children’s to lay a strong foundation for the next 150 years and beyond.
“I’m incredibly proud that we are working collaboratively – with the ambition that young people truly deserve – to create a world-leading research and technology centre that will help reimagine the future of children’s healthcare.
“Writing our vision and values into the very fabric of the building is a powerful moment – it shows our commitment to working in exciting new ways whilst staying true to the purpose and principals that have led us here.”
