A workspace for small businesses and entrepreneurs has opened in North Cardiff.
Cwrt Coworking has opened at training provider New Directions’ head office building at Cardiff Business Park in Llanishen.
Run by Town Square Spaces (TownSq), the new hub offers affordable, co-working offices and business support for small businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers and start-ups in the area.
There are 14 small and medium-sized offices, a co-working space for up to 60 people and a number of meeting rooms. There are also printing and wifi facilities plus bike racks and on-site parking.
The new hub is part of Town Square’s network of hubs located across the UK including in London, Wrexham, West Sussex, Oxfordshire, Devon and Rhyl.
The network aims to facilitate the rise in hybrid working since the pandemic and offer flexible workspaces for those currently working from home.
Town Square said it surveyed more than 5m miles worth of commutes and found that 85% of people want to commit to working closer to home in the future.
Community director for Town Square Jamie McGowan said there was a real appetite for closer-to-home workspaces outside of the city centre with the company seeing a lot of interest from freelancers and small businesses.
“North Cardiff has been crying out for a space like this; somewhere that provides the benefits of a professional workspace as well as the support and natural networking that happens when people work together,” said Mr McGowan.
He added: “Coworking spaces become the beating heart of an office. It can sound idealistic - but it really creates an energy that’s hard to match, and that filters through into the businesses based around it.
“I’d encourage anyone with an idea or a desire to start their own business to come and take a look at our space. We can offer support to anyone in the early stages of their business; from teams looking to collaborate with others, to the individual with a promising idea who can’t quite quit their day-job yet.”
New Directions chair Jeff Tune said: “I know from first-hand experience that collaboration is key at the beginning of any business journey and Cwrt’s members will certainly receive a first-class space to come and work together.”
He added: “We offered our office space to Cwrt because we believe in the way it supports entrepreneurs, start-ups and growing businesses. Cwrt has a forward-thinking vision for the future of workplaces and I’m thrilled we are able to be a part of something so crucial to the development of businesses and Cardiff as a whole.”
