Member Article

HIVE begins at 40 for MEA House

An iconic 40 year-old Newcastle office development is launching a flexible working space for small charities, which is set to be a buzzing hive of activity.

MEA House, a five-storey landmark building at Ellison Place in the heart of the city, is celebrating its 40th anniversary by opening HIVE@MEA House – an exciting initiative which provides an affordable office environment especially for small charities, industrial and provident societies, community interest companies and other forms of social enterprise.

HIVE marks the latest chapter in MEA House’s story, since its founder – local businessman Mungo Campbell - introduced the concept of housing charities under one roof in Newcastle city centre 40 years ago. The development was officially opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 1974 to provide high quality office accommodation at competitive rents below market rate, exclusively for charitable organisations.

The building, which is owned by registered charity MEA Trust, sees fifty thousand people pass through its doors every year and has supported more than 50 organisations in its history. Last year, MEA House extended its criteria to enable local community interest companies, industrial and provident societies and other forms of social enterprise to rent space there.

Now, the new HIVE@MEA House has made its home in the third floor of the building, overlooking the city, with space for six people to hire hot desks equipped with broadband, wi-fi and optional DDI telephone numbers.

There are three separate two-person offices available to hire within the unit, and all workers can benefit from a dedicated meeting room, a manned reception desk, virtual office assistance, storage facilities and a tea point, as well as opportunities to network with other organisations.

MEA Trust director Ann Wynn said: “The launch of HIVE marks a significant milestone in the history of MEA House – we’re very proud to have accommodated such a wide range of charities over the past 40 years and we’re still the only building in the city to offer these services. It’s a very special place to work, and we’re determined to make sure that MEA House keeps pace with the evolving nature of this industry.

“We know that in today’s working environment, fewer charities require large office units, and smaller organisations need easily available office space from which they can grow and expand. Until now, this facility has not been available for the voluntary sector.

“That’s why we’re offering a no fuss, drop-in, hot desking environment with a strong focus on easy-in and easy-out occupation. We want to do as much as we can to help small charities thrive, and we believe that this ‘pay as you go’ way of working will be a huge help.

“Many people are running their organisations from their home offices, kitchen tables or bedrooms, which presents a lot of challenges. In HIVE, users can focus on their work in a fresh, light, self contained modern environment with no distractions, and we’re there to support them with anything they need along the way. It’s also a great opportunity to meet others in the same boat and to enjoy a professional, state of the art space to host meetings.

“We want this to be the go-to space for small organisations seeking a hub of creativity, collaboration and flexible working in the heart of the city centre – and we can’t wait to see how it develops over time.”

For further information about HIVE@MEA House, or to view the space, please contact Ann Wynn on 0191 255 1901. Visit www.meahouse.org.uk

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Uniquethinking PR team .