Local heroes take centre stage on St Helens hoardings

Article date: 3 November 2025

The striking images celebrate what makes St Helens unique, showcasing cherished local businesses, famous faces, locations and organisations.

Visible from Church Street, Hall Street and Bickerstaffe Street, the images will decorate the hoardings around the 169,000 sq ft site as demolition work continues and throughout the construction of the transformational scheme.

Local favourites Louis William Jewellers, Café Masonic, La Casa Vieja, Accord Legal, Card Stall, Tri Print, The Coffee House, Self Love Salon, 36 Bridge Street restaurant, the Womble Inn butchers, and The Nelson public house all feature alongside, St Helens Theatre Royal and St Helens Parish Church. More artwork will be added as building work progresses, including an image that represents St Helens College.

"Our brief was to shine a light on some of the people that make the heart of St Helens town centre beat," said John Owens, director of creative agency Instruct, which designed the hoardings. "Over two days we photographed everyone in-situ and spent time listening to why they love St Helens and their excitement for the future plans for the town centre regeneration. Integrated into the designs are iconic elements of the region, from recognisable landmarks to skills and industry that shape our place. The spaces will evolve further as the building work progresses."

Eddie Hoffman of Louis William Jewellers said: "We are incredibly proud to be recognised as one of the many local businesses that make St Helens the vibrant community it is today. For 25 years, our business has been woven into the fabric of this town, and we firmly believe that it's businesses like ours that help shape its character.

"Local enterprise plays a vital role not just in creating jobs, but in supporting community, through initiatives like grassroots sports sponsorships and bringing people together. With the regeneration project underway, we're feeling optimistic. We hope it attracts more passionate, like-minded businesses, brings new energy to the town centre, and creates a thriving St Helens that future generations can be proud to call home."

Mike Heyes of Café Masonic added: "Having grown up in St Helens, I've watched the town change over the years, and I'm genuinely excited about what the future holds with the long-overdue regeneration of the town centre. Being recognised on the hoardings is a real honour. St Helens has given me so much throughout my life, so it feels meaningful to give something back - something we try to do every day through the cafe. I believe this regeneration isn't just about increasing footfall for local businesses; it's about putting our community at the heart of it all - celebrating the people and personalities that have shaped St Helens."

Councillor Richard McCauley, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at St Helens Borough Council, said: "We are making the most of the opportunity to celebrate our 'St Helens-ness' and it's great to see local icons represented at the heart of our project. These hoardings represent another welcome step on the journey to restoring our town centre to its former glory and making it an attractive place for residents and visitors."

Matt Whiteley, Senior Development Manager at ECF, said: "We feel the hoardings are a fantastic way to showcase the people, businesses and places that make St Helens so special, while also giving a glimpse of the exciting future that lies ahead. It's a chance to reflect the pride, character and community spirit of the community here - and also ECF's approach, which is always to ensure local people are at the heart of the project."

St Helens-based Widd Signs were awarded the contract to manufacture and install the artwork. The company employs 28 people locally from its 28,000 sq ft factory on Reginald Road Industrial Estate.

The hoardings provide a colourful backdrop to the major transformation taking place in the heart of St Helens.  The ambitious Phase One plans include a new Market Hall, 120-bedroom Hampton by Hilton hotel, 57 apartments, eight townhouses, an extended modern Transport Interchange and 4,266 sq ft of modern retail space. These will all be set within extensive, biodiversity-rich public spaces designed to support pollinators, native planting and climate resilience.

St Helens Borough Council and regeneration partner ECF have commissioned main contractor VINCI Building to demolish the Hardshaw Centre and prepare the site for the approved first phase development.

The work forms part of a 20-year regeneration vision being delivered St Helens Borough Council and ECF - a partnership between Homes England, L&G and Muse. The first stage focuses on St Helens and Earlestown town centres, aiming to restore both to their former glory.