Co-working clubs aim to break down barriers and support new businesses
Three new monthly co-working club aim to to help community to connect and thrive.
New co-working clubs have launched in Milton Keynes to support entrepreneurs looking to network and meet other business founders from a range of backgrounds.
The three clubs - Women In Business CoWorking and Connections, PurposePreneurs CoWorking and Connections, and Culture Club CoWorking and Connections, have been created by NatWest and all have a focus on breaking down traditional barriers around business support.
Each club will meet monthly at the NatWest Accelerator at Centre:MK. As the biggest bank for start-ups in Great Britain[1], NatWest is committed to supporting small businesses as they evolve and grow.
Women In Business CoWorking and Connections is aimed at female business owners while the PurposePreneurs CoWorking and Connections is for entrepreneurs who have established CICs, charities, social enterprises and community groups looking to grow their enterprise arms.
Culture Club CoWorking and Connections is for Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMBs) and has been developed in response to the Time to Change report.
In 2022, Aston University’s Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) launched the Time to Change report in partnership with NatWest. The report identified that tackling the multiple barriers faced by EMBs could increase their GVA contribution from the current £25 billion a year to £100 billion, highlighting the significant potential of EMBs to the UK economy.
Since the launch of the report, NatWest has embedded a range of commitments to support EMBs including:
- Redress perceived and actual barriers to finance
· Build long-term trust-based relationships with businesses
· Foster local networks of support to boost business survival and growth
Culture Club CoWorking and Connections derived in consultation with the EMB steering group at the NatWest Accelerator in Milton Keynes in response to bullet two and three above.
Daxa Patel is the founder of HR Results Ltd, an HR consultancy business for SMEs. She has also been through the NatWest Accelerator programme.
She said: “When you are starting your own business, it is incredibly important to network and meet other entrepreneurs who are in a similar place but it’s also important you find a group that works for you and your business. The new clubs in Milton Keynes are a great way to meet and connect with like-minded people in an informal setting.”
Debbie Lewis, Accelerator Community Manager at NatWest, said: “We are incredibly excited about the new clubs and, with our links to the NatWest Accelerator, we hope that those involved in the clubs will feel better connected with the local ecosystem. We want to be as inclusive as possible, and anyone is welcome to any of the clubs regardless of their business or background. We invite anyone who is interested in attending to come along and find out more by registering here.”
For more information on how we're making progress on the recommendations made in the Time to Change report, see the updates here.