A co-working and enterprise hub in a former pub in the heart of Rhyl is helping create and grow new businesses in the town and wider area.
Denbighshire County Council transformed Costigans from a semi-derelict pub into a thriving new co-working space and coffee shop, with funds from Welsh Government’s Transforming Town’s programme and European Social Fund.
The formal opening took place last week and the hub, managed by small business experts, Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq), has already proved a success.
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Three offices at the site are already booked up for the next 12 months and there are 29 hub members who use the building on a flexible basis.
Hub members are supported through a number of programmes, including after-hours startup clubs, fast-growth accelerators, workshops and one-to-one mentorship.
The first ever member was Sam Beavan, 20, who had been working at EE in Rhyl but always wanted to run his own business, motivated by making a living doing something he enjoyed.
He set up video and photography business Bevo Visuals – alongside his day job – using his home as a base.
He said: “This place opened and came about the same month I started the business last year.
“I had said to my mum I was looking for an office space and that I would have to go outside of Rhyl or get a flat and convert it. But she then brought home a leaflet from Costigans and said ‘this is in Rhyl’.
“I came down and became the first member.”
Sam dropped his hours at EE as the business grew, then with the support of the hub he went full-time with his business last summer.
He added: “It has been really good, with weddings and commercial work.
“It has been never been about money, it’s about doing what I want and being able to get by doing that and managing my own time.
“Having this here has allowed me to make this move more quickly. There is so much I have learnt here; there is stuff here that usually you would have to go out and research.
“There is a community. People will help, it’s not just ‘here’s an office space, go and sit down’.
“We will all talk about our lives, our projects. Business is all word of mouth and I have got work here that’s helped build my portfolio and it connected me with other businesses.”
Costigans community manager Owain Colwell said: “There is a three- pronged approach.
“There is helping the community that is unemployed or struggling to get a business going.
“There is a community of really great businesses we can help build.
“The other is those who are employed at the moment and they don’t really want to work at home as it’s not too great to be stuck at the kitchen table.
“We are a mesh of all three of those.
“The biggest thing is that while we are profit-driven to pay for all the good stuff we do, we are B-corp verified, so everything we do has to be socially impactful with the least impact on the environment.
“We are making money, but look at what we are doing with the money we make.”
He says this is helping with Rhyl’s revival.
He added: “There is so much good stuff going on in Rhyl, Just look inside this one building in Rhyl and see how many good businesses have started up from nothing.”
Cllr Hugh Evans, leader of Denbighshire County Council and Lead Member for the Economy, said: “The opportunity that an enterprise like this provides for entrepreneurs, micro businesses, for people who need someone to hold their hand to step up and run a business, is massive. There is a gap in the business world for things like this.
“That is why we were really pleased that they were prepared to work with us and make use of what was a derelict building.
“Having this here in the heart of Rhyl is a real positive statement and will help the next generation.
“This is part of the plan to change Rhyl for future generations: a high-quality facility with high quality support for fledgling businesses.
“It’s important that Rhyl gets away from being a regeneration project to an economic development project.”
