All posts tagged: Temporary Use

Coming soon: Makespace Resident Portal

Have you ever wondered who exactly occupies the multiple Makespace buildings across Oxfordshire? With over 200 residents breathing new life into them over the past six years, you’d be forgiven for not keeping track. But all of that is about to change… Launching next month, the Resident Portal is a digital ecosystem designed to showcase the brilliant, […]

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Unlocking Space for an Inclusive Economy

Lessons from the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’programme Last month we dipped our fingers into our first ever session at this year’s Marmalade Festival – a week of events centred on social change and collaboration. It was an opportunity to invite those that shared and supported our journey through the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…‘ programme, as well as those wanting […]

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Launching the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ Impact Report

This month we are excited to share a deep-dive into the impact and insights of ’Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…‘, £1.9m programme launched in 2021 in partnership with Oxford City Council. With funding secured by OxLEP from the central government’s Getting Building Fund, the programme was developed to transform underused space, support local communities and diversify our urban centres. […]

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Release: ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ helps 100 organisations to find affordable business space and creates 200 new jobs for local people  

Oxford City Council and Makespace Oxford are pleased to announce 100 organisations have been housed and 200 jobs created or supported through the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ programme since launch. ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ launched in February 2021 and was designed to revitalise high streets following the COVID-19 pandemic. By re-purposing otherwise vacant units into independent shops, cultural venues, […]

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Celebrating 5 years of Makespace Oxford & Aristotle Lane

On Saturday 16th September Makespace residents, collaborators, neighbours and our team gathered to celebrate 5 years at Aristotle Lane. In the summer of 2018 Makespace and its founding partners flung open the doors of the building formerly known as Aristotle House, bringing it back to life after being empty for 4 years. We began with a two-year […]

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RELEASE: Makespace Oxford reanimates derelict day centre into a thriving community hub in the heart of Wantage

We’re proud to announce the transformation and opening of a previously derelict day-centre into an affordable, accessible space for local artists, entrepreneurs and community groups wanting to connect and flourish in the centre of Wantage. The recently renovated building, named ‘The Old Stables’ in reference to its historic location, was re-opened in December 2022 by Makespace Oxford, as […]

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Community workspace in the centre of Oxford is announced officially open, as new spaces are secured across the county through the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire’ programme

Dozens of purpose-driven individuals representing funding bodies, key partners and social enterprises from across Oxfordshire came together on Tuesday evening to celebrate the official opening of Makespace Oxford’s new ‘Community Works’. In November last year, Makespace Oxford announced that the third of its flagship city centre workspaces was opening its doors for the first time, with the […]

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Makespace Oxford & Oxford City Council celebrate one year anniversary of ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ initiative

25 February 2022 – One year after its launch, an innovative pilot scheme from Oxford City Council and Makespace Oxford to transform the use of vacant shops across Oxfordshire is being studied by other councils. Initially launched in February 2021, the £1.875m “Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…” programme has been so successful in its first year that other local […]

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The (Complicated) Process of Matching Applicants to Meanwhile Spaces

Since we launched the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire’ programme, we’ve received over 315 applications for space from local businesses, organisations and individuals across the county. This number underlines the huge amount of demand there is for affordable workspace, as well as a wider issue in the commercial rental market across Oxfordshire. These are exactly the problems we’re trying […]

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Press Release: Meanwhile in Oxfordshire in the Covered Market

Two people hold a large red key outside and empty retail unit in Oxford's Covered Market

15 November 2021 – Four empty units in Oxford City Council’s Covered Market have now been transformed into pop-up shops for local, purpose-led retailers ahead of the festive season. The ‘meanwhile’ or short-term use of these spaces is part of Makespace Oxford’s ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire’ programme, commissioned by the City Council, which seeks to reanimate space in […]

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