Coworking: What does ‘getting involved’ really mean?

‘Getting involved’ at Union St gets you 50% refunded from your monthly coworking fee. A solid offer. But what does it actually involve? And why is it priced like this in the first place?

“We wanted to do things differently” says Matt, Co-founder. “People are looking for more than a desk – they’ve got that at home. So the idea of building a community for the benefit of its members was really important”.

So, by getting involved, people can contribute in ways other than just handing over their money? “Exactly. About a third of people ‘get involved’ which is great. It's designed to be easy, and it's designed to be flexible”.

“But I recognise that others are juggling businesses, kids and so on. There’s absolutely no obligation to do it”.

What kind of things do people do then? Well, there’s loads on. Some people choose to

organise groups; this is just a small selection:

• Hot Yoga

• Gardening club

• Book Club

• Tuesday night running group

• Shared lunch crew

• The ADHD group

• After work drinks

• Live music outings

Then there's the practical things, like turning up at 7.45 in the morning to unlock the building and put the coffee on, or locking up in the evening. You could even write an article for the website, I suppose.

So Union Street benefits. And the individual? “I'd like to think that everybody feels that Union St is something that they are part of, rather than something that they’re a customer of. And I think they do... but you should ask them”.

So I did:

Will

Gets involved by... making smoothies for the 3pm break on Wednesdays, and then washes up afterwards. Time dedicated each week: half-an-hour or so.

Refund: 50%, worth £120 per month.

And did you benefit in other ways? “It forced me to be more social, which is a good thing. I felt more integrated sooner. Also, it’s just nice how grateful people are for it.”

Ella

Gets involved by... baking potatoes for everyone on a Monday lunchtime. Everyone brings a different topping, so there’s a whole spread of options (and a free lunch for everyone).

Time dedicated each week: 45 minutes a week.

Refund: 50%, worth £90 per month.

And did you benefit in other ways? “I came to Sheffield 18 months ago and didn't really know anybody. It’s been a really nice way to quickly get to know lots and lots of people.”

Sam

Bruno, Flo and Sam (right)

Gets involved by... running 'Have I Got Views For You': a weekly discussion based on a random topic each week. Could be literally anything (apart from politics).

Time dedicated each week: 45 minutes, an hour maybe.

Refund: 50%, worth £165 per month (Sam is a full time member)

And did you benefit in other ways? “They should call it the fast-track friends scheme.”

Want to get involved, but not sure what you’d do? Don’t worry. There’s always some ideas floating around. Chat to Matt and see if anything takes your fancy.

Still unsure? Really, the best way to suss things out is to book a free trial day.

How to Choose Your Co-working Space

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). 

The Showroom Cafe

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.

National acclaim for Studio Polpo from the RIBA

Our top-floor anchor tenants Studio Polpo have been hailed by the Royal Institute of British Architects for offering "an example to the whole profession on bringing together unexpected disciplines, marginal communities, artists and funding to tackle important issues of the day, while having fun".

You can read the full article in the RIBA Journal here.

For more on Studio Polpo and their work here at Union St, check out this video interview: