SafeLives, the national charity dedicated to ending domestic abuse, has relocated its headquarters to Bristol city centre office scheme Whitefriars in a deal that means the landmark building is now 90% occupied.
SafeLives has taken just over 3,300 sq ft of space on the second floor of Whitefriars, pictured below. The 138,000 sq ft, 11-storey building on Lewins Mead – one of Bristol city centre’s largest office schemes, includes a refurbished café, a gym, a mezzanine meeting area and a secure underground car park. 
The charity has moved from Maxet House in Baldwin Street, which is being converted into apartments. The deal was brokered by the Bristol office of leading property consultancy JLL.
Eight lettings have been secured at Whitefriars totalling nearly 42,000 sq ft in just over 18 months, including a letting to Whitefriars Business Centre which has recently opened, and Children and young people’s cancer charity CLIC Sargent, which consolidated its South West operation by relocating its regional office to a 8,000 sq ft suite on Whitefriars’ fourth floor.
Kate Hollick of JLL in Bristol said: “The recent letting to SafeLives is further evidence of the demand for good quality, affordable space within Bristol city centre.
“Whitefriars offers tenants excellent on-site facilities, a prime location, flexibility and affordability. Since the refurbishment of a number of office suites we have seen increased interest in this site.”
JLL is now offering refurbished space from 1,500 sq ft at Whitefriars, which was refurbished and brought to the market last year on new rental terms by agents Alder King and JLL on behalf of owner, London-based private investment company Topland.
Ben Ryan, director of asset management at Topland Group, said: “We are delighted to welcome Safe Lives to Whitefriars, meaning we are now close to capacity – not bad considering we bought the building three years ago when it was just 60% let.
28 Baldwin Street, a nine-storey property which includes Maxet House, was bought earlier this year by Bournemouth-based developer Westcoast Developments – the company behind a number of luxury homes on Poole’s upmarket Sandbanks Peninsular.
All leases on the upper five stories of the building will have expired by the end of this month, allowing Westcoast to create around 50 luxury residential apartments.
The 39,000 sq ft building’s basement, ground, first and second floors will continue to be used for leisure/retail.
