11 Nov 2025
Work to transform a former bank into a brand-new community hub has started in the heart of Market Rasen.
Not-for-profit organisation, Acis Group, which provides housing and support services across Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Humberside and the East Midlands, began onsite on the empty building last month (October). Named the Grange Hub, the refurbished building on Market Place in the centre of the town, will be the new home for the group’s community-based education and wellbeing provider, Clip (Community Learning in Partnership) and its popular local community café, which will be re-branded Grange Cafe.
The centre is expected to open its doors in spring 2026 and will host learning and training courses, providing education, skills and employability support for the local community. There are also plans to for the refurbished building to offer hireable meeting rooms and remote workspaces, as well as local housing staff from the group also having a presence at the hub.
The project has been supported by West Lindsey District Council’s Commercial Premises Grant Scheme, which is funded by the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, in addition to investment from Acis Group.
Councillor Stephen Bunney Ward Member for Market Rasen said: “I am delighted to see this empty property in the heart of the town being historically restored and brought back into active use. This project forms part of our wider ambitions to regenerate the town and bring new life to the area.”
The Grange Hub is all part of an ambitious wider project coordinated by Acis Group, called the Grange Collective . The aim of the comprehensive project is to provide a range of vital support services and vocational training in Market Rasen, where Acis already has more than 205 homes, providing much-needed affordable accommodation in the area for its customers.
This will include Grange House; a conversion of the historic, Grade II listed, Market Rasen House, with its partners Lincolnshire County Council and West Lindsey District Council, into 10 supported housing apartments with access to 24-hour care and support. The sympathetic conversion is made possible through investment from Homes England through the Affordable Homes Programme.
An innovative community-focussed social enterprise also makes up part of the project, utilising the expansive land and outer buildings to the rear of Grange House, providing local people with opportunities to learn new skills through horticulture, repair skills and crafting, as well as offering a welcoming place for community groups growing produce.
Greg Bacon, chief executive at Acis Group said: “We’re really excited about the Grange Hub. Not only will it bring an empty building in the heart of the Market Rasen community back into use, but it will also provide real learning and training opportunities in an area where a lot of our customers live, shop and socialise, as well as supporting the fabulous Grange Cafe.
“We have a vision for this project to become a centre for vocational excellence, that can be beacon of best practice. Whether its horticulture skills, catering, trades or any number of other hands-on training and learning programmes, we are confident the centre will open doors and inspire minds for those who might just need that boost to get them on their journey, and we can’t wait to get started.
“A project like the Grange Collective encapsulates exactly what Acis Group is about and why we have created a group that can provide the quality housing people need, together with the expertise and facilities to deliver valuable support that can make a difference to people’s lives whatever their needs or stage of life.”
More information on the kind of courses that will be offered through the Grange Collective is available on https://cliplearning.com/courses/