In this blog post, The Rank Foundation’s Assistant Director of Operations, Sonia Talsi reflects on the journey of our coworking space – from an empty building to a thriving hub for social sector organisations. Sonia also outlines our plans to continue supporting collaboration and growth within our community.
It is hard to believe that a year has passed since we opened the doors of our coworking space at Garden Walk, in London’s Shoreditch.
What started as a disused building has transformed into a vibrant, inclusive hub where social sector organisations come together to work, connect, and create lasting impact.
Quality Coworking Space for the Social Sector
The 6,200 sq ft workspace had a high-end refurb, with a range of useful amenities, all the latest tech, and a stylish kitchen. Spanning two floors, it’s fully accessible and staffed by our friendly on-site team.
Inspired by our founder, Lord Rank’s enterprising spirit, we are driven to use our resources and capacity to create more social good. By establishing Garden Walk as our own social enterprise, we have not only created a space where social sector peers thrive but have also experienced firsthand what social enterprise can be.
What Next?
After a successful first year, I am excited to share some of our latest offers available to our social sector peers. To celebrate our one-year anniversary, we are offering:
- 50% off hot desks from 1st September 2024 until 31st October 2024.
- A Flex Trial Day, where organisations can try out our space free of charge.
- Discounted Hot Desk Bundles and Desk Memberships.
- 50% off our meeting rooms on Fridays—perfect for your next team meeting or workshop.
Get to know more about our current offers.
We know there is always room for improvement. Our users love our phone booths and have asked for more, so we are on it!
Following the success of our Coffee Mornings and Share & Connect events, users also asked for more community activities. We are pleased to say we are planning even more activities in the coming months to foster deeper connections and collaboration among our users.
From Good to Great
Our coworking space is part of our strategy to transform the Rank Network from good to great. We knew that to support the incredible work being done across the Network, we needed to offer more than just a workspace. We wanted to build a community—a place where collaboration happens naturally, ideas flow freely, and every organisation feels supported.
Garden Walk was designed with this in mind. We believe that social sector peers deserve a great place to work, with opportunities to collaborate and take a breather in a safe, quality, and welcoming environment. Whether you need a permanent workspace, occasional desk space, or a meeting room, we have flexible options that allow you to focus your resources on social impact, not sky-high rents.
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Over the past year, we have been thrilled to see this vision come to life. Our coworking space has welcomed a diverse group of tenants, including:
- Tutors United
- KORI Youth Charity
- Blind in Business
- The Orchard Project
- DataKind UK
- Good Faith Partnership
- Royal Drawing School
- Place Matters
Each of them brings something unique to our coworking space, and together, we have created an environment that is all about working, learning from each other, supporting each other, and growing together.
The feedback from our users has been overwhelmingly positive about the cleanliness, the quality of our facilities, noise levels, amenities and services, and the warm, welcoming atmosphere we have worked hard to cultivate. Here is what some of our community had to say:
“I really value the coworking space. It has significantly impacted my experience of work and made me much more productive and happier. I really appreciate how much you care about making the space a good place to work and I’m very thankful.”
“I really like the environment and the welcoming way in which we can move around, and the facilities offered. The free fruit and access to good quality tea and coffee is much appreciated.”
Looking back, it is amazing to see how far we have come since August 2023. We’ve reached nearly 80% capacity and have been delighted to support the Rank Prize Fund, CTVC, our programme participants, and other social sector organisations by providing them meeting space throughout the year.
As we celebrate this milestone, we want to thank everyone who has been part of this journey. Garden Walk is not just a workspace; it is a community where social sector organisations can thrive together. We are excited for what the future holds as we continue to grow, learn, and support one another.
If you would like to find out more or arrange a tour of Garden Walk, please do not hesitate to reach out us at booking@rankfoundation.com, and a member of our friendly team will be in touch soon.
