Author: Ali, a co-worker at Union St.

Co-working has bounced back from Covid-19 big time. And in Sheffield, where the Peak District acts as a constant temptation for hikers, bikers, climbers and general outdoors enthusiasts, a flexible approach to working is here to stay.

But where to go? Well, spoiler alert: the co-working spaces in Sheffield are all different, and the ‘right’ one for you depends on what you’re looking for. I’ve tried most of the main options myself, and Union St was the best fit for me. But that might not be the case for you. So let’s get into it.

Review number 1: Union St

Where: By the Peace Gardens in the city centre

Best for: Community and meeting other people

Union St is a non-profit community hub, made up of four floors. There’s a popular, buzzy cafe (with rotating street-food options), two middle floors of co-working and hotdesking, and a top floor of desks set aside for small businesses.

Now, for me, I wanted to find a co-working space because I felt increasingly isolated working from home all the time. Getting to know a few people – and feeling like I was getting up, and getting out and about – was important to me.

Happily, Union St has been brilliant for that. There’s generally a friendly hubbub of chat whilst you work and at lunchtimes people often eat together or grab a coffee. On certain lunchtimes, and at 3pm on some days, there are more organised social gatherings (for example, baked potatoes are provided for free on Mondays and there’s tea and cake on Thursday afternoons) for those who wish to join.

I spent quite a lot of time wondering what exactly the ‘get involved’ 50% refund was all about, and whether this meant mandatory group yoga or similar. Reader, it does not. 

It’s really just a bit of an incentive to do something for the co-working community: organising post-work drinks, locking up in the evening, writing a blog article – it’s up to you. It means there’s pretty much always something going on, and lots of different ways to meet people. 

Phone booths and meeting rooms are generally readily available if you need them and can be booked online. Some of the facilities, like the toilets, are a little tired and there’s no dishwasher if that bothers you. The decor is perhaps more ‘common room’ than ‘corporate’ – whether you like that or not is up to you to decide.

• Community: Five stars

• Location: Five stars

• Facilities: Three stars

• Price: With the 50% refund, five stars. Without, three stars.

  
  

Review number 2: Wizu

Where: Bottom of the Moor

Best for: Quiet concentration

Before I joined Union St I worked from Wizu for six months. Wizu own the entire tower block, with most floors being rented to established businesses as offices. There is an open-plan co-working area that occupies around half of one floor.Inside, the facilities are modern and it’s a bright, airy space with a reception. It’s not in the most illustrious part of town: the building is reminiscent of the opening credits of The Office and the view looks out over Decathlon and a busy roundabout. 

Because of this, and because the co-working space is shared with workers from Wizu’s office spaces (who sometimes have alarmingly frank meetings there), there’s quite a corporate feel. People often take calls at their desks too.

Everyone I spoke to was friendly but the atmosphere is closer to a library for quiet study than an office or a cafe. Starting a conversation required puncturing the silence which always felt a little awkward, and as if everyone else was listening in. 

Depending on what you’re after, Wizu might be right for you. It’s a pleasant space with pleasant people and good facilities, and it’s reasonably priced. If you’re less interested in getting to know people, and just want to get your head down for the day, it’s a decent shout.

• Community: Two stars

• Location: Three stars

• Facilities: Four stars

• Price: Four stars

Review number 3: Cubo

Where: Carver Street, in the city centre

Best for: 24/7 access

Like Wizu, Cubo is a business operating in several British cities and is primarily interested in leasing office space to companies, with some space set aside for co-workers. It seems they might have hired the same interior designer as well. 

It only opened in 2021, and as a result has some pretty shiny facilities, including bike storage, a rooftop garden space and a 24/7 access system to the building.

There’s free draught beer on tap too, if that swings it for you. But with prices starting at £199 + VAT for a co-working membership it’s considerably more expensive than both Union St and Wizu (so make sure you drink your fair share of free beer).

• Community: Two stars

• Location: Five stars

• Facilities: Four stars

• Price: Two stars

Review number 4: Your local cafe

Where: You tell me

Best for: a quick change of scene

It's an option. But not one I’d recommend long-term. A visit to a cafe is great for breaking up your day, but they’re not really set up for co-working. 

You can’t take calls and you’ll find it hard to build much of a community. If you’re going regularly it’s not really cost-effective either, unless you’re nursing your latte over several hours (which probably isn’t making you very popular). 

That said, Cutlery Works in Kelham, Hygge in Fitzalan Square and Showroom Cinema near the station all offer deals to remote workers – generally you pay a certain amount for the day, and get unlimited coffee and reliable WiFi in return. 

It’s a good option if you only want to do the odd day of co-working, or if you’re in town for a brief stint. But if you’re looking for something more permanent, the facilities and community offered by dedicated co-working spaces are, in my opinion, a much better idea.

• Community: Two stars

• Location: Depends on your perspective

• Facilities: Two stars

• Price: Three stars

  
  

Hopefully that’s shed some light on your options here in Sheffield. But the best way to see if a co-working space is right for you is to go ahead and book a tour.

A social fermentation and preservation project out of Sheffield, Social Pickle are bringing their new series of workshops to Union St in September and November...

As part of their Acid Seasons series, in September participants will learn to make Apple Cider Vinegar using the season's bounty of locally scrumped Sheffield apples, contributing to a communal pot as well as making your own to take home with you. You can find more info and register for you tickets here.

In the final Acid Seasons workshop of the year, the session will capture autumn and winter roots in Social Pickle's version of the spicey and pungeant tonic called Fire Cider, with more info and tickets here

Parents for Future are one of the many local groups to host their events at Union St. We caught up with Sarah from the Sheffield branch to learn more about how they're trying to inspire parents to take action in the climate crisis.

Hello Sarah! Could you start by explaining to us what Parents for Future is?

Sure. Parents for Future is the largest parent-led climate movement in the UK. We've currently got around 30 local groups across the country. The aim of Parents for Future is to build power and resilience through community. We believe the parent voice is really powerful and can lead to serious change, but obviously parents don't have a whole lot of time!

It’s also just a welcoming and supportive place where parents can come in and do what they can to help - which could be anything from sharing a few Instagram posts to volunteering for a couple of hours a week.

What kind of activities do Parents for Future take part in?

The main campaign that Parents for Future UK is running at the moment is the campaign to stop the Rosebank oil field. We're also a member of the Warm This Winter coalition, which is working to lobby the government to insulate more homes and bring down fossil fuel heating costs. 

One of our newest campaigns is called Courageous Conversations, which aims to give parents the skills to be able to bring up climate issues in their day-to-day lives, like when they're at a school pick-up or play group for example. The thinking behind it is that the vast majority of people are concerned about climate change, but only a very small percentage of people actually talk about it. So if we can get people talking about it, then that can plant a seed and encourage more people to take action.

Why is the group focused around parents?

Parents have a lot of power. There was a report that came out recently by an organisation called Potential Energy, who found that protecting the planet for future generations was the highest motivation for people to get involved in climate change. 

So thinking of our own children, the children around the world and even children in the future is a huge motivator for people to do something. And the steps that parents will take to protect their children is really moving.

Tell us about the Sheffield branch of Parents for Future.

The Sheffield branch launched around a year ago. We're still quite a small, young group. It's a really casual space for parents to come and talk about the feelings we're having around the climate crisis, how it relates to being a parent and what brought us here. Getting things off your chest is really important, so having that community space where you can make friends and speak with people who are having similar feelings is so valuable.

For me personally, when I joined Parents for Future the emotional support and the community of it all was amazing. I just wanted to have casual meet-ups that people can come to and meet other parents who are going through similar emotions - people who are also feeling compelled to do something about it.

Joining a group like Parents for Future and taking action (no matter how small) by being part of a community can really inspire hope. It doesn't have to be doom and gloom! The idea of inspiring hope through action is a really big part of what Parents for Future is, and it has been transformative for me.

Could you tell us a little more about that?

So after my daughter was born in 2022, I fell into really bad climate anxiety. I'm someone who has always cared about the environment, and always tried to do my bit. Even when I was deciding whether to have a child, I had to think about what kind of world she is being born into. But once she was born, it really hit me like a rock. It kind of affected my ability to function, and after several months of dealing with that I came across Parents for Future.

I eventually summoned up the courage to join a welcome call, and ever since then it has been super helpful to be in that community and see how many people are working on this. Also, being connected to so many different resources means I have a better understanding of what's going on. It has been such a positive experience for me.

Who can attend your Sheffield events?

Anyone can come along. Children are always welcome at our events, so you don't have to worry about finding childcare. You can bring them along and we'll have books and art activities that the kids can do.

Thanks Sarah!

The next Parents for Future Sheffield meeting will take place on Sunday 24th March, 10.30am - 12pm at Union St, S1 2JP.

You can follow Parents for Future Sheffield on Instagram or drop them an email on parentsforfuturesheffield@gmail.com.