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 to find out how to unlock space in their own communities.
The Panel
A panel of residents and partners were invited to reflect on the three years of unlocking spaces across Oxfordshire. Under the guidance of Penny Lawrence, former Strategic Director of Makespace, we heard from:
– Neil Wild from Wild Property Management
– Helen Bailie resident at Aristotle Lane and in Didcot (Sabali Pots)
– Tawio Oluwatuyi resident at The Charter Studios (Taiwil Fashion)
– Steve Weitzel, Regeneration Manager at Oxford City Council
– Alex Lui, Makespace Oxford’s Meanwhile Space Project Manager
Key Insights
As the conversation weaved its way through the ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ journey, the panellists shared their reflections:
How important was securing space for your idea, and what was the impact?
The audience heard the real life experiences of Helen and Tawio, residents of hub spaces in central Oxford, Abingdon and Didcot who run grassroots projects such as community pottery studios, fashion design, dress making and creative workshops for young people.
Both Helen and Taiwo described how ‘meanwhile space’ can be a catalyst for transforming an idea into a new business or community project. They also highlighted the added value of being located in a hub space, surrounded by a community of residents with shared values and Makespace’s community development team. Combined they offer guidance and support at all levels:
“Makespace has made it so easy for me to do my job and do it the way I want, supporting and welcoming me and my daughter… The space and support I’ve received is wonderful”
Tawio Oluwatuyi
How good was the match between spaces available and needs of organisations – how did we manage the tension/gap?
Alex Lui, Makespace Oxford’s Meanwhile Space Project Manager, shared some of the complexities of managing expectations during the programme. As the community delivery manager, Alex had to work with partners across every work stream; from supporting lease negotiation and design to managing contractors and supporting residents into spaces.
Alex highlighted the challenge of publicly announcing the programme even before Makespace were contracted, causing expectations to sky-rocket:
“This required a delicate balance of managing expectations, committing to achieving our goals within 18 months, and engaging both landlords and residents. Often simultaneously. Our aim was not only to find suitable uses for the buildings but also to ensure they complemented the needs of a community. At times we identified suitable spaces, but they were not in desired locations. Our overarching objective was to support organisations aligning with the values of an inclusive economy in Oxford.”
Neil Wild from Wild Property Consultancy echoed the sentiments of perseverance and strategic collaboration:
“This project was a perfect match for my expertise and passion, investing in people and places across Oxfordshire. The project was unique in the sense it offered capital funding that could leverage new agreements with landlords. But even so, that didn’t make it straightforward or an open door…”
What were the expectations of the programme and did it meet them – what changes would you advise future programme design?
Steve Weitzel, Regeneration Manager at Oxford City Council described the process of designing the programme to secure the grant and highlighted its experimental nature and the unpredictable context: working through pandemic lockdowns, rising inflation with skills and material shortages.
“What we thought would happen and what eventually did happen were two completely different things. I would say that it was down to the good management of Makespace and their ability to be fleet of foot and flexible and to change with the circumstances …we were learning as we went along. Two years down the road, hearing the residents stories makes me feel tingly inside and fantastic to hear we helped people in the way we did.”
One clear takeaway Steve shared was that any future programmes must include both capital and revenue as part of the grant mix, to allow for agile responses to changing conditions and to reduce the risk on the delivery partners.
Exploring the challenges together
The session concluded with breakout groups, where attendees explored key questions that have emerged from Makespace’s learning:
> Building Inclusivity: How can we genuinely create genuinely inclusive spaces (physically, socially and financially)?
Attendees explored the Makespace approach to inclusivity in depth, including our fairer rent model, work towards EEDI and Safer Spaces, as well as how we try to build alignment around shared values and ethos. The benefits and limitations of these approaches were unpacked together.
> Finding Ideal Spaces: How can organisations find their dream space?
Individuals seeking space for their own projects sat with partners to walk through the practical steps needed to identify, assess, negotiate and secure a space of their own. It highlighted the gap between the number of vacant buildings and available space for purpose-driven initiatives across the county and the unnecessarily complex process of unlocking space.
> Creating Systemic Change: How can ‘Meanwhile Use’ generate long-term and meaningful change?
The final group explored some of the key barriers to longer term change, with a focus on how we break down silos across the property system, make ownership more transparent and to unlock the resource needed to centre communities in regeneration processes. Most importantly of all to this group was the question of how to build meaningful long term relationships with those pushing for change at each level of the system from the grassroots groups to institutional actors.
The Meanwhile report: A practical tool for change
As part of the session we launched our ‘Meanwhile in Oxfordshire…’ Impact and Learning Report – a compilation of our insights, experiences and key learnings through the programme.
It’s a resource we hope will serve as a tool for other organisations wanting to affect positive change through place-based renewal in their local area, whether based in Oxfordshire or further afield. This is not a toolkit but a tool for challenging practice and an honest reflection on all the nuts, bolts, triumphs and challenges. An exploration into the future of ‘meanwhile’ as a vital step in revitalising town centres, and the lessons learned around funding limitations.
We recognise that these conversations are ongoing, and we’re continually learning and exploring new approaches to unlocking space, with many brilliant collaborators.
The partners 5 key learnings are given below and unpacked in full in the report:
A nod of gratitude to the wonderful team at the Marmalade Festival for allowing us to share our story but also to our brilliant Makespace team, our panellists, our partners, Aspire Oxfordshire, Soha Housing, Fusion Arts, Meanwhile Space CIC (esp Dr Jess Steele, OBE Emily Berwyn), Tom Bridgman, Steve Weitzel and all at the Oxford City Council & Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP) & all the district councils… And of course to our wider collaborators and supporters, especially OSEP CIC and Platform Places…And most importantly of all, a HUGE thanks to the terrific community of residents who are on the journey with us, bringing our high streets back to life and making the change we want to see in the world, one empty building at a time. This is just one step on a longer journey, but one to celebrate.
What Next?
Download the report: You can view or download the full report here, or find out more about the programme on our project page.
Share your thoughts and feedback: We welcome your feedback! Please get in touch at [email protected], with your comments and questions about the report.
Join our webinar! We’ll be hosting a FREE online webinar on Thursday 23rd May, where we will delve deeper into the report and discuss our findings with the wonderful Meanwhile Space CIC and Platform Places.
Unlock your own space: If your group requires assistance with unlocking a space, please do not hesitate to contact us for advice.
Keep in touch: Follow us on social media (@makespaceoxford) or subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated with the latest news.
