Devon Work Hubs Network goes from Strength to Strength
Devon's network of Work Hubs is continuing to grow with three Hubs fully operational, one more lined up to open next month and an 'associate' Hub in Exeter now part of the group.
The Work Hub scheme evolved in early 2011 when talk began of setting up facilities to help people who worked from home, were self employed or starting up a new business.
It is estimated that around 85,000 people (20% of the working age population) in Devon are home-based, making the Work Hub concept a natural path to follow.
In late 2011, Devon County Council with part funding from the Department for Transport secured £180,000 to support the development of two Work Hubs.
In July last year, a new round of funding opened which meant that Devon County Council, had an additional £100k available to support the development of work hubs in up to 5 market and coastal towns in Devon.
The Totnes Work Hub opened in July 2012 and already has a waiting list for office space. It is welcoming new hotdeskers all the time and has the second series of its business support events taking place between now and the end of March, back by popular demand.
Tavistock Enterprise Hub (TEH) which opened in December 2012 has a number of new co-working tenants who are very pleased with their new home. The TEH opened 16 new hotdesks for business during their first Jelly event and now has a new Think Pod complete with a full wall chalk board, perfect for ‘blue sky thinking’ alongside their Chat Pod; an informal space to relax and meet fellow co-workers.
In mid January, the third of Devon’s Work Hub projects opened in Cullompton, known as ‘The Hayridge Work Hub’ offering flexible office areas, desk space and professional meeting rooms.
The Generator in the centre of Exeter is an exciting addition to the Devon Work Hubs network and is the Council's first ‘associate member’ which means it can benefit from the range of free Devon Work Hub resources. It offers freelancers and homeworkers a vibrant, flexible and affordable place to work.
Generator Entrepreneur Neil Finnie says; "It's great to be part of the Work Hub project as we see co-working as an integral part of innovation and collaboration, places not just to work, but to generate new ideas and opportunities from a range of sectors and industries. Being part of this exciting network allows our own community to see increased benefits from networking, business support & development and also to offer their own skills and experiences to a wider audience."
The fourth Work Hub to receive Devon County Council funding, the Okehampton Work Hub, is scheduled to open for business in mid February. It will provide professional business space for entrepreneurs, homeworkers, those on the road or business start-ups. Deskspace will be available to rent by the hour, day, week or month, there will also be meeting rooms, free WIFI, use of their postal address service, storage lockers, printing and copying as well as experienced business advisors being on hand.
The Devon Work Hubs website is being developed as work continues to add these new premises into the mix. The Council is in the process of developing a mobile specific version of the website (fully functional for tablet and mobile phone users) that will allow people to locate their nearest Hub and make contact whilst on the road.
Devon County Council leader, John Hart, says; "The Work Hub network is an important part in supporting and strengthening Devon's economy and is certainly proving to be popular amongst those large numbers of residents who are self employed or just starting up a business. There’s been high demand for office space so far and we’ll be continuing to develop Hubs in other market towns. The Hub provides a professional working environment at a very reasonable rate and I would encourage anyone who is looking for perhaps more space to work or simply an improved office environment to connect with one of our Work Hubs."
For more information about the Generator, Exeter, go to: the-generator.org/
For more information about Work Hubs, go to www.devonworkhub.co.uk, sign up to the newsletter (via the website), or follow on Twitter @devonworkhubs
If anyone operates a flexible workspace and would like to find out more about joining as an Associate Membership visit the website and click on ‘Hub Resources’.
