Charities focused on improving the lives of children and young people have been invited to apply to use specially designed offices in a central London location, believed to be a “first of its kind building designed for this purpose”.
For the project, initiated by the Duke of Westminster, property developer Grosvenor has created a “charity hub” workspace designed for charities and social impact organisations.
Grosvenor did not say how much charities would have to pay to use the office space but the Westminster Foundation will offer discounts of up to 50% to charities that align with its mission to help vulnerable young people.
Levels of membership
The property business will be known as Fivefields, and is expected to be operational this autumn, bringing charities under one roof in the aim for them to collaborate and network.
Two-thirds of the building has been earmarked for charities and the other third will likely be occupied by funders, consultants and social enterprises.
There are four floors dedicated to the charity hub, equating to 280 memberships available across these floors.
There are different levels of membership:
- Flexible membership for charities to use on an ad hoc basis. These can be taken for single days or 10 day per month, or even full time.
- Dedicated desks – this provides members with their own dedicated desk in the open-plan environment, surrounded by like-minded charities.
- Private offices – a range of private offices are available that can be customised to suit the charity.
The project aims to provide a high-quality space for charities who might not otherwise be able to afford a central London location.
Members will share a common interest in improving the lives of children and young people, mirroring the Westminster Foundation’s charitable activity.
The project has been initiated by the Duke of Westminster, who is chair of both the Grosvenor trustees and the Westminster Foundation.
Grant funding for membership costs
The Westminster Foundation will offer grant funding to a selected group of these charities, who align with their strategic focus. The grants will support membership costs.
Charities who share a common goal of supporting children and young people to improve their life outcomes, aligning with the Westminster Foundation’s strategy, may be eligible for grant funding from the Westminster Foundation of up to 50% of the monthly membership fee.
‘This new initiative will add significant value to our work’
Gordon Scorer, chief executive of London Wildlife Trust, who have a youth programme to help young people get involved in nature said: “This new initiative will add significant value to our work.
“Being accommodated in a modern office with the ability to interlock, learn from and engage with our fellow charities will inevitably lead to greater impact in our respective missions to support young people and diverse communities across London.”
The building at 8-10 Grosvenor Gardens is in the heart of Victoria and owned by Grosvenor. Charities can find more information here.
Related Articles
