New Growth Hub and Business School Topping out Ceremony

Last week GFirst Staff and board members attended a Topping Out ceremony at the top of the new Growth Hub and Business School. Topping Out is a ceremony that marks the structural completion of a building, it is performed to ensure that no evil spirits are trapped in the building when the envelope is sealed, and that prosperity and good luck for the future will ensue. It takes place when the highest point of the building is reached and provides an opportunity for client, design team, contractor and workforce to toast the success of the building.

In Saxon times, a yew tree branch was placed on the uppermost part of the building. This originates from the roof gardens that were popular thousands of years ago in Persia. The trees were essential shade and so were regarded as a symbol that the building was complete and ready for occupation.

Wine, oil, corn and salt were sprinkled on the roof once the tree was planted. The wine symbolised fertility and wisdom, the oil - liberty and prosperity, the corn – to ripen and grow prosperity into abundance, and the salt – purity and hospitality.

In Saxon times Topping Out ceremonies often featured human sacrifice, but thankfully for the GFirst team this tradition has long died out!

As well as the new Growth Hub in the University of Gloucestershire, The Growth Hub will open Network Centres around the county and will provide a more prominent presence across the districts.  The Growth Hub has already established partners with the Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester, who will open a Tier 1 Network Centre in June, Tewkesbury Borough Council will open a Tier 2 Centre at their site in September and all of the 31 county libraries will be operational as Tier 3 Network Centres by March.  The Growth Hub have also recently announced two other partners namely Malthouse and Vantage Point Business Village in Stroud and in  the Forest of Dean respectively.  These are both Tier 2 Centres and The Growth Hub envisage opening in Mitcheldean in October and an opening in early 2019 for Stroud.