24 Jul Meet The Member: Vulcan Works
Introducing Vulcan Works…
A state-of-the-art £14 million hub is offering support to creative and digital start-up businesses in Northampton.
Vulcan Works, which opened its doors in the Cultural Quarter area of the town centre in February, provides lettable office space, workshops, meeting rooms and coworking spaces and holds a range of business support events.
The centre was created through transforming a Grade II listed former ironworks factory on the corner of Angel Street and Fetter Street as part of a £14 million project funded by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), who facilitated a Local Growth Fund contribution of £6.3 million, together with £3.06 million from the European Regional Development Fund.
The team
The space was initially launched and managed by Oxford Innovation Space who oversaw the recruitment of a new team who are now running the day-to-day operations.
Garrick Hurter has been appointed as centre manager, ably supported by assistant centre manager Gail Haddon. Born and raised in South Africa, Garrick has 15 years of serviced office industry experience. Prior to joining Vulcan Works, he was involved in the operation and set-up of serviced offices across the UK and understands the unique requirements businesses have when looking for work space.
He said: “I am proud to be a part of the Vulcan Works team and help local businesses as they are starting up or scaling up. Our focus is on providing a low-risk flexible space that brings together those within the creative and digital sectors and helps them to grow and thrive.”
Gail worked in the customer service industry for 39 years before spending the last three years in the serviced office industry, which is where her passion lies. She said: “I have the most amazing role as assistant centre manager at Vulcan Works. We are creating an innovative community, offering a variety of offices, workshops, hot desking, coworking, plus a variety of meeting room facilities. It is much more than a workspace, as we provide bespoke support for all businesses within our centre.”
Customer experience assistant Hannah Tanner previously worked in e-commerce and as a theatre production assistant and has a love for all things creative. Hannah said: “I’m excited to be working with the team in this beautiful centre.”
Completing the team is business growth manager Darren Smith. Darren has a wealth of business experience, running his own primary education business for almost 20 years before taking on roles that saw him providing advice and mentoring to new businesses. Darren said: “It really is an incredible space that is so conducive to a growing creative business. In my role I get to know the wide range of businesses at Vulcan Works and work with them to support their growth through the provision of various services and organising networking events, workshops and training.”
The facilities
Vulcan Works offers flexible and cost-effective workspace solutions. These include:
Coworking – From hot desking for £17 a day to a dedicated desk with 24/7 access for £250 a month, the coworking options are a viable alternative to renting a physical office. With unlimited tea and coffee and free complimentary WiFi, you can fuel those creative juices while you work too! Vulcan Works also offers a Coworking Membership which the team anticipates will be incredibly popular over the summer holidays as working parents look for a less chaotic working environment! Coworking Membership costs just £30 a month for two days of coworking a month included (£12 a day thereafter) and members also receive a discounted rate on meeting room hire. The centre is also currently running an offer that sees the coworking space operate completely FREE OF CHARGE on the last Friday of every month – an offer that is open to everyone.
Meeting room hire – Vulcan Works boasts six meeting rooms that vary in size and feel. Each meeting room has the perfect mix of industrial heritage in its design and the modern tech and facilities needed by the businesses of today. The smallest room caters for six people at a starting rate of £20 an hour. The largest space holds 80 in a theatre style layout and is available from £300 for a half-day hire. All meeting room rentals come with access to superfast WiFi, video conferencing equipment, a flip chart and pens, presentation screen, speakers and microphones, and unlimited tea and coffee.
Offices – With stunning workspaces, exceptional facilities and a real sense of community, the office spaces at Vulcan Works give solopreneurs and small businesses an environment to create, grow and innovate. The furnished offices are designed to cater for one to 24 individuals and include access to the breakout and coworking spaces, free places on business events, 24/7 office access, CCTV, superfast WiFi, communal kitchens, shower and changing rooms, and a lockable bike store. Customers will also receive advice from business growth experts.
Workshops – Being a hub for creative and digital businesses, the team at Vulcan Works recognise that some individuals and businesses in this sector need workshop spaces to bring their visions to life. This is why the centre also provides customisable workshops that can be configured to meet requirements. Those who take up a workshop at Vulcan Works can also access the kitchen facilities, lockable bike storage, showers and lockers, and have their own private entrance with street access for deliveries.
It is estimated that Vulcan Works will support around 150 start-up businesses in its first 10 years, creating around 500 jobs in the area. The centre has also pledged to work with local contractors and agencies, ploughing more money back into the local economy.
To find out more about Vulcan Works or request a show around, email info@vulcanworks.co.uk or visit vulcanworks.co.uk.
