A look back at this years One Planet Festival in Abingdon. Great to see The Charter residents Taiwo, Dianne, and Jess involved at the Eco Fair. Our stall gave us an opportunity to showcase the approaches we take in South Abingdon. We were thrilled to have over 70 participants join us in getting their hands messy and letting their imaginations run wild with our residents. Read more community news in our latest newsletter by signing up via oru website - www.makespaceoxford.org - #Oneplanet #Abingdon #oxfordcommunity #communityart #Indieoxford #Communitywealthbuilding #transformation #artisticjourney
Makespace Oxford
Civic and Social Organizations
We want to see thriving community, creativity and innovation in Oxfordshire’s once empty and underused spaces.
About us
Our mission is to revive, repurpose and transform empty and underused spaces in Oxfordshire, into affordable, community driven workspaces / work hubs; nurturing connection and support for social enterprises, creatives, makers and doers, committed to positive social change. We are progressive, re-centring the conversation of space around people over profit, and the innovative responses that promote systems change and strong collective action. We listen to and work in solidarity with partners and our wider community to achieve positive social change in Oxfordshire, with a focus on community empowerment, inequality, the climate emergency and homelessness. We also make ethical decisions about how we work together and use resources based on sustainability and our respect for the environment and each other, and we adapt and respond to change and new opportunities to ensure we learn, improve, and remain nimble, whilst moving forward with confidence.
- Website
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http://makespaceoxford.org
External link for Makespace Oxford
- Industry
- Civic and Social Organizations
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Oxford
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2018
- Specialties
- Meanwhile Space, Shared Workspace, Community building, Impact Hub, Social Enterprise, Environmental Action, Homelessness, and Social Change
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
1 Aristotle Ln
Oxford, OX2 6TP, GB
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Get directions
21 Park End Street
Oxford, England OX1 1HU, GB
Employees at Makespace Oxford
Updates
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Great summer flower exhibitions by Iraqi Women Art and War one of our residents based at The Source in the heart of Oxford City.
Iraqi/British Entrepreneur Founder and Director at Iraqi Women Art and War IWAW (CIC 15459186) Museum
Happy summer via art 🖼️ The flower exhibition, amazing artwork by IWAW group 👏👏👏🧑🎨🧑🎨🧑🎨🧑🎨🧑🎨👇Makespace Oxford the Source 🫶
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The 'Community Right to Buy' announced in this week's King's Speech could revitalise empty shops, pubs, and community spaces - it gives local communities the power to take over cherished assets. All over the country, community groups are transforming spaces to promote affordable, sustainable living. From arts venues to community kitchens and co-working spaces, the impact is immense!
🏚 🏫 Ever looked around your neighbourhood and wondered about those empty shops, pubs, and community spaces? 🌟 They could be brought to life through the 'Community Right to Buy' announced in this week's King's Speech! As part of the English Devolution Bill, this legislation is set to enable more local communities to take ownership of valued community assets... ...and it could change your neighbourhood more than you think! All over the country (see https://lnkd.in/eqeNYMuH), different community-led groups are giving spaces a new lease of life to help local people live affordably, sustainably and together. Whether that's arts and music venues, pubs, reuse and repair hubs, community kitchens, youth and sports clubs, local markets, co-working spaces, or genuinely affordable housing... 📢 Shout-out to the fantastic organisations and individuals who have been tirelessly campaigning for a Right to Buy AND those on the ground demonstrating that community-led property works... We're Right Here, Locality, Community Land Trust, Power to Change, Annoushka Deighton, The Architectural Heritage Fund, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), Nick Plumb, Nudge Community Builders, Hannah Sloggett, Wendy Hart, Naomi Rubbra, Stir to Action, Plunkett UK, Will Brett, New Local , Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Cooperatives UK, Makespace Oxford, Historic Coventry Trust, Hastings Commons, New Economics Foundation and many, many more 🙌 There’s still a lot of work ahead: ensuring the details of the bill are right and that communities are truly able to steward these spaces for the long term. Watch this space 👀 Read the King's Speech: https://lnkd.in/ePJf_J7S #MycelialNetwork #CommunityPower #CommunityRightToBuy
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“The process of the nature trails in south Abingdon have felt really nostalgic. With every trail having a memory of family dog walks and bringing my daughter up here. I feel a real emotional connection to the community and space, so having the opportunity to be apart of creating the crossings has been a really incredible experience. Speaking to the community as I hear their stories and personal connections has been really special and I hope that they can be enjoyed as much as I have enjoyed creating them” Jess Farrell, @Life Styling #Makespace #MakespaceOxford #abingdon #indieoxford #smallbusiness #oxfordcommunity #communityart #Oxfordshirecommunity #abingdonartist #abingdon #abingdonoxfordshire #naturetrail #naturetrailsabingdon
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Today is the day! We are so excited to be joining @Platform Places, @Stour Trust, @Footwork Trust, @Stir To Action, and many other fantastic individuals today as we come together to explore how we can unlock our land and High Streets for communities, driving the systemic change we so urgently need. This is our first time at the Stir to Action Festival: a two-day interactive event happening at Bristol’s Arts Mansion at Ashton Court on July 10-11. We will be among hundreds of people who are actively transforming their local economy through practical workshops, inspiring panels, and ideas surgeries. Don't forget to join us on the main stage at midday today, where we will be joined by Bex Trevalyan from @Platform Places, Juliet Can from @Stour Trust, and insights from @People’s Dem Collective. Together, we will be discussing unlocking space for the new economy - from meanwhile use to community ownership. 🌱 Why not come over and say hello 😊 👋 #StirToAction #CommunityEconomy #UnlockingSpaces #SystemicChange #BristolEvent #NewEconomy
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We are excited to announce our participation in Stir to Action's ABCs of the New Economy Festival in Bristol, taking place on July 10-11. Our session, "Unlocking space: meanwhile use to community ownership," will be held on Wednesday, July 10th at 12pm. We are glad to feature a distinguished panel of speakers: -Bex Trevalyan, Platform Places -Juliet Can, Stour Trust CLT -Victoria Barrow Williams, People Dem Collective -Andy Edwards, Makespace Oxford Join us and hundreds of others committed to transforming the 'everyday economy'. This is a unique opportunity to celebrate, learn, and draw inspiration from diverse contributors. Prepare to be challenged and inspired as we explore, question, share, and enhance democratic practices in our workplaces and communities. 👉 Explore the programme and book tickets at stirtoaction.com/festival #NewEconomy #CommunityOwnership #StirToAction #Festival #Inspiration #DemocracyInAction
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Last week a full planning application for the redevelopment of the Odeon site, 38-40 George Street was submitted by Marick Real Estate, supported by Staycity, Oxford City Council and Makespace Oxford, signalling a key milestone for the project. Since March, Makespace has been working with the project team, architects Jan Kattein Architects and citizens and local organisations to develop plans for a new civic and community space on a portion of the ground floor of the site. We have held dozens of 1:1 stakeholder meetings, formed and held six sessions with our Community Advisory Board, supported the formal public consultation and held workshops and activities in local schools and at Gloucester Green Market, working with TORCH… But this is just the beginning! Watch this space for further events and activities to be announced over the summer… If you’d like to learn more about our community engagement approach, please email us at [email protected]. Further updates will be posted to the 38-40 George Street project page
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Hey there! Have you had a chance to check out our latest reading recommendations in our newsletter? If not, no worries - we've got you covered! Last month, @CivicSquare shared two chapters from their proposal for a new Public Square, and let me tell you, it's some pretty insightful research. One recommendation we're loving is 3ºC Neighbourhood. This blog is all about raising the bar for the retrofit of our homes, streets, and neighbourhoods to combat climate change. They really dive deep into what a 3 degree rise in temperatures could mean for the UK, and why new forms of social and civic infrastructure are essential to tackle this challenge. Another great read is Endowing The Future. This one is a passionate call to social investors and philanthropists to invest in a future that is fair, sustainable, and inclusive. It's all about creating the right conditions for neighbourhood-level transformation that can truly make a difference in the face of the issues we're up against. We'd love to hear what's got you hooked lately! Join the conversation and tag us with your thoughts. Let's keep the dialogue going! : : #Foodforthought #readingrecommendation #civicsquare #birmingham
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Such an insightful look into the idea of urban rooms! 🌟 "An urban room is a space for people to come together to create a future for their local area. It can take many forms – from a vacant high-street shop to a milk float – but is ideally located centrally to the community it serves." At Makespace, we're proud to contribute to this movement and thinking by fostering collaboration and creativity within our community. Check out the full article for more on the importance of these spaces and why they're essential for our towns and cities.
Have you heard of an 'urban room'? Been to one? In 2014 the Farrell Review for the Built Environment recommended that every town should have one. In this piece for The Developer Magazine I set out what they are, where they exist and the value they bring... and why we're still far off the Farrell target. 📣 An urban room is a space for people to come together to create a future for their local area. It can take many forms – from a vacant high-street shop to a milk float – but is ideally located centrally to the community it serves, whether in a car park or supermarket foyer. Some are open for a short stint of weeks (Church St, Westminster), others operate for years (Folkestone) or pop up as a pilot and return as a permanent fixture (Croydon). ⏱ 10 years on from the Farrell Review there are eleven live, nine upcoming and fifteen pilot/previous urban rooms 📏 Urban rooms have a loose definition and there is not a one-size-fits-all model. But there is an urban rooms network, a toolkit and now a roadshow 🏅 Measuring their success is complicated, as is defining their failure. The number of people through the door is not the only measure of success. 🗺 Urban rooms exist in other countries but in the UK they are unique in not being defined or funded by one sector’s agenda (e.g. local government or academia). This cross-sector capacity gives them scope for variety, reinvention and appeal to multiple funding pots. 👐 They are intentionally neutral, open-door, jargon-free, decentralised spaces claiming a role as ‘honest broker’ 🎭 Art and creativity helps break down barriers and gets a wide audience to cross thresholds, and have fun 📅 Curation of a wide spectrum of events is essential, and this requires time and commitment 👋 Digital interactivity and mapping bring strength, but the human connection is paramount. Hybrid physical-digital models work well 💷 Barriers to finding a physical site can be overcome, but this requires funding, collaborations, tactics and rates-relief ⏺ One measure of success is the 'future funding' urban rooms enable, i.e. through demonstration of local need and priorities over a period of time 💛 Common to their success is an unwavering local custodian, but this often means voluntary work to serve a number of roles ⚖ For urban rooms to be a go-to town-centre they need to reach a critical mass. Their value needs to be recognised and mandated by government 💡 In Melbourne the annual, architect-designed 'M-Pavilion' is the centre for an annual festival but once used it goes on to be a community centre, just like an urban room, in the heart of a neighbourhood. Imagine a parallel with the 22 Serpentine pavilions that have been and gone... Thanks to the Urban Rooms Network, Carolyn Butterworth Diane Dever Owen Hopkins Laura Alvarez Flora Samuel Mat Barnes Croydon Council Christine Murray The Developer and Festival of Place *The two large images are the Newcastle Urban Room at the Farrell Centre, photography by Jim Stephenson
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Yesterday, we had a fun and productive final Community Advisory Board meeting for the George Street Project! We took time to reflect on the past few months of collaboration and planned for the future by "planting out" our ideas. We discussed key questions like, what do we need to make these ideas flourish, and what kind of impact do we want to see in our community and city? It was a session filled with creativity and teamwork. Take some time to get to know the Community Advisory Board and follow our journey by visiting our George Street project page: https://lnkd.in/e2VxdPEU #CommunityEngagement #GeorgeStreet #Gardeningday #communitywealthbuilding #Oxford
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