Caerphilly venues looking to make the most of their space are being encouraged to apply for up to £2k as a new business support project gathers pace.
Following successful projects in Swansea, the Vale of Glamorgan and Denbighshire, the Cowork Local scheme will enable places to offer flexible working, either to give unused spaces a new lease of life or to provide established venues with another source of income.
A grant of up to £2k is available to cover the cost of setting up, and support to get the spaces up and running, including marketing and listing, will be provided by coworking and small business experts Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq).
Cowork Local aims to support local businesses by having people work within their own communities. Not only will this give people the benefits of working closer to home – getting up later, ditching the commute and saving money – but it will also give them a professional environment to work within, without the distractions and difficulties of living and working from the same space.
Commercial Director for TownSq, Kevin Mansell-Abell said:
“Flexible working has always been a core part of our offering, something that’s been honed by over a decade of experience at TownSq. However, it’s not just local people who benefit from flexible working, the venues that host them also grow.
“The main objective of our Cowork Local project has been to help reduce commutes and provide flexible working options outside city centres to support remote workers and the local venues around them. When people work local, they shop local. They buy lunch or do that bit of after-work shopping – which is all part of growing our local economy.
“Whether your space is unused and needing a refreshed purpose, or you’re looking to do more with what you have, the funding and expertise is available for you to access – we’d love to talk to you.
“We’d encourage any local venue interested in making more of their space, to get in touch with us, and see how we can help them grow their community.”
If you own a venue and would like more information or to register interest in Cowork Local, you can email [email protected] for further details.
The funding is part of a wider collaboration project between small business support and coworking specialists Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq) and the Welsh Innovation Centre for Enterprise (ICE) to boost enterprise across the County Borough as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF).
