Shared space breeds collaboration for charities

Shared space breeds collaboration for charities

24 March 2010 -A pioneering concept in workspace development, created by award-winning social enterprise CAN Mezzanine, demonstrates the benefits of charities sharing office space.

Almost 70 per cent  of charities renting space in CAN Mezzanine's three London sites are collaborating on projects or sharing resources, according to the latest customer survey  (released in March 2010). Around 90 per cent are interacting with each other in other ways and two  have formerly merged.

CAN Mezzanine provides high quality affordable office space to charities and social enterprises and houses some of the leading names in social change. Most of the space is intentionally open plan, encouraging collaboration and networking. CAN Mezzanine saves the Third Sector more than £2.2 million a year at its London Bridge location alone, according to independent social impact research, working out as average savings of more than £5,000 for every desk space rented.

Organisations living in the three sites are promoted through a secure intranet system where they can advertise their work, ask for ideas or find partners on projects - which makes interaction virtual as well as physical. With many charities reporting a drop in income and loss of business, this kind of collaboration makes good economic sense.

For example ...

• Three domestic violence charities - Greater London Domestic Violence Project (soon to change its name), Respect and Women's Aid - deliberately chose space in CAN Mezzanine because of the opportunities for shared working and synergy. Collaborations include working on joint responses to consultations, representing each other at meetings and responding to media calls. "There is something about the physical co-location that makes a real difference. Although we worked together before, being in the same building saves us both money and time," says Director Davina James-Hanman.
• The Brightside Trust and the UNIAID Foundation, both education charities, have merged. They officially launched their new branding (BrightsideUNIAID) and website on 16 March. "The merger has allowed us to extend our work to tackle social barriers to education and training," says Dr Tessa Stone, Chief Executive. "Both organisations had a similar approach. Together we can reach bigger audiences and provide a more comprehensive service."
• Kids in Museums, the Institute of Conservation and the Collections Trust - all organisations involved in museums, archives and collections - have collaborated on various projects. They also promote each other through their own websites. "The location, flexibility and open plan environment works well for us. Being in the same space means we hear about opportunities to support each other", says Eleanor Lovegrove, Marketing and Membership Officer, Collections Trust.

Andrew Croft, Chief Executive of CAN, says:

"This is a prime example of how the right working environment can help charities and social enterprises to develop productive alliances.  When we developed the concept of CAN Mezzanine we saw the main benefits as cost savings, shared back office facilities and a congenial working environment with like-minded organisations. But this survey shows that it also can generate collaboration and innovation around social change. What we have created in effect are ‘communities of social interest'."

CAN Mezzanine offices are located in Old Street (London N1), London Bridge (London SE1) and Southwark (London SE1).

For more information visit the website at http://www.can-online.org.uk/pages

Ends

More information from: Anne Nicholls, CAN Press Office
Tel: 020 7250 8046. Mobile: 07973 491439.
Email: a.nicholls@can-online.org.uk

or  Kate Markey, Deputy Chief Executive
Tel: 020 7250 8060. Email: k.markey@can-online.org.uk  

Notes to Editors

1. CAN (formerly Community Action Network) is recognised as one of the UK's leading organisations for the development, promotion and support for third sector organisations of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises. It runs CAN Social Investment, CAN Engage, CAN Advise and CAN Mezzanine (its own social enterprise) which has three office buildings in London - two in London SE1  (1 London Bridge and 32-36 Loman Street) and one in  London N1 (49-51 East Road, off Old Street). CAN Mezzanine London Bridge has 414 desks, CAN Mezzanine Loman St has 281 desks and CAN Old Street has 480 desks.  A recent independent social impact finding survey found that in 2005-6, CAN Mezzanine London Bridge was 55% cheaper than the average of the three largest providers of serviced office space in the UK. This equates to £2,400,891 savings for the Third Sector based on average sized organisations being 5-6 people.
2. The Greater London Domestic Violence Project aims to increase safety for survivors of domestic violence and hold abusers accountable for their behaviour. It works to ensure that good practice in domestic violence work is transferred across London, bringing together key agencies to develop London-wide policies, raise awareness about domestic violence and increase the effectiveness of inter-agency work.
3. BrightsideUNIAID is a national education charity that aims to help, inspire, guide and support individuals, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds,  to make informed choices about their education. It provide e-mentoring, teaching resources and online tools about higher education, careers and money.
4. The Collections Trust is a social enterprise working to improve the access to and use of collections in museums, archives and libraries.
5. The survey was sent to 112 customers (organisations) and 746 people working the three CAN Mezzanine buildings. Completion rate was 55%. Findings highlight the following additional benefits of CAN Mezzanine..
   • Cost savings
   • Serviced office - complete package
   • Location, accessibility and profile of offices
   • Culture, networking and ethos
   • Meetings rooms savings
   • "Added value" services - networking events, discounts, skills training, social events, public affairs and development training.
6. A recent survey on collaboration within the charity sector (distributed to members of Charity Comms) revealed that more than 56% of collaborations were perceived as successful - a significantly higher level than expected by private sector organisations, but 62% felt that collaborations could put their charities at risk.