The Bespoke Centre located in Bransholme has undergone a major refurbishment to create a dedicated managed workspace centre offering 20 units for small and starter businesses.
Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, ward councillors Anita Harrison and Jan Loft went to view the centre on Friday 17 December, along with several other local partners.
The centre was originally a community resource centre, developed and operated by the voluntary sector. The building transferred to the council several years ago and, following a review, has been integrated into the council’s portfolio of Managed Workspace Centres. The repurposed Bespoke Centre joins the Louis Pearlman Centre and the Craven Park Training and Enterprise Centre as the council’s third Managed Workspace Centre, aimed at providing workspace and support to small and starter businesses.
The building has been refurbished and additional units have been created in areas formerly used as council offices. The council has expended around £325k on the project, around £100k of this covered by grant support from the Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (HEY LEP) as part of the government’s Getting Building Fund.
The centre now offers 20 business units with a further area continuing to be occupied by BrightStart Day Nursery.
Units are available in a range of sizes and are particularly suited to use as offices and professional services. The centre is staffed by the council’s Managed Workspace Team who provide on-site management, reception and meeting room services and business support and advice. Since the refurbishment works were completed, five new businesses have already moved in and several viewings are in progress with other potential occupiers.
Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, said: “The refurbishment of the Bespoke Centre was part of the Managed Workspace Programme, a package of investment to improve our managed workspace offer with support from our partners at the HEY LEP.
In photo from L-R: Councillor Daren Hale, Leader of Hull City Council, Councillor Anita Harrison, North Carr Ward, Sergeant Steve Hepworth, Humberside Police, North Carr Neighbourhood Policing Team, James Newman, Chair of the Hull and East Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Councillor Jan Loft, North Carr Ward, Allan Rookyard, Managed Workspace Centre Manager at Hull City Council.
“On our visit, I was delighted to see how this investment has made such a huge difference to a very important asset. The Bespoke Centre is the ideal facility for any small or starter business, with the added benefit of support from the council’s on-site business support team.”
James Newman, Chair of the HEY LEP said: ‘’It was brilliant to see how the refurbishment of the building could make such a difference to the space available for local small entrepreneurial businesses to take their first step from living room to proper office accommodation.
“As a LEP, our Growth Hub will continue to provide all the vital services to support these businesses and individuals and the Bespoke Centre will add to the office space, so much needed in this area of the city.’’
To find out more about the Bespoke Centre, visit the Hull City Council’s Managed Workspace Centres website.
Click here to visit the HEY LEP website.
