The Melting Pot will double capacity to meet growing demands for coworking office space post-COVID
The Melting Pot, Scotland’s first coworking space, has found a new much bigger home where charities, social businesses, campaigners and freelancers will lead the recovery from the COVID crisis. Delivered in partnership with Foundation Scotland, The Melting Pot will reopen in May at 15 Calton Road, next to Waverley station.
Following a fun and playful social media campaign The Melting Pot unveiled their new home at a live virtual event last night. The huge three-floored, 5,500 sq.ft space will host double their previous capacity in response to the increased demand for coworking spaces and hybrid working following the pandemic.
The Melting Pot’s Founder and CEO Claire Carpenter said: “We’re thrilled that we are finally announcing our fantastic new location – the secret is out!
“We have all worked so hard to make sure this larger space is safe and ready; we know how much it is needed. Our community have told us how constant working from home has had a detrimental impact on their health and well-being, as well as their work.
“The COVID crisis has alienated us from the spaces we shared with our communities. This has been necessary to protect ourselves and each other. But for us to recover as individuals, as communities and as a society we need to safely transition back to these shared spaces.
“Our new hub will offer our growing community the chance to get back to a new normal. Where we can safely enjoy personal interactions again, to remember the joys of working in-person with others, to get away from the same four walls of home and to give people structure to their working life.
“We will provide a fit for purpose workspace for a world of work that has been permanently changed by the pandemic.
“Hybrid working allows people to mix it up; to enjoy the benefits of working from home some of the time and working from our dynamic hub on others. It’s the best of both worlds.
“The Melting Pot provides simple solutions like desks and printers as well as a genuine sense of community for all involved. We will help employers support their teams through more changes. We will be offering affordable options that give members the opportunity to work from our space in a way which suits them best.
“We’ve already had to set up a waiting list on our website to help cope with interest and so I’d strongly encourage those that are interested to get in touch with us soon.”
The new space on Calton Road was previously home to ‘the Venue’ nightclub, then became the Ingleby Gallery and was most recently Foundation Scotland’s Edinburgh office.
Foundation Scotland will become one of The Melting Pot’s first new members.
Giles Ruck, Chief Executive of Foundation Scotland said: “Like most organisations during the pandemic, Foundation Scotland needed to adapt how we work and evaluate how to meet our future workplace needs.
“Since the first lockdown, we’ve become fully digital, with our staff working from home across Scotland. This virtual approach has worked well for us and we will build on this by adopting a new flexible approach, including a mix of home working and using a range of regional coworking hubs and meeting spaces, across Scotland.
“We’ve known The Melting Pot for almost 15 years, awarding them their first grant from the Foundation back in 2006. Since then, they’ve played a significant role in harnessing social innovation in the city, and we’ve continued to support their vision and growth over the years.
“Their search for a new home in Edinburgh was in parallel with Foundation Scotland’s decision to move away from having any fixed office premises. We are changing to a new blended approach of home-working, using coworking hubs and meeting spaces.
“Our large offices in central Edinburgh offered The Melting Pot the perfect location in the city for their growing enterprise. Their creative and effective use of the space in our Edinburgh premises will be sustainable, benefit many organisations and lead to even greater social impact.
“This new shared space for the sector will benefit Foundation Scotland too. We’re joining their community and will use our former home as a coworking hub alongside other organisations by becoming a member of The Melting Pot.
“We are very much looking forward to being one of their first new members through the doors when they officially open in the spring. Virtually or physically, we will achieve more social impact through working together.”
In recognition of the growing demand to join, The Melting Pot have set up a waiting list for new members which is now open on their website.
They are looking for socially conscious businesses, charities and campaigners that need a workspace that supports their work and contribution to the recovery effort.
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