Claire Carpenter reflects on 13 years of the Melting Pot and what lies ahead for co-working as the social enterprise looks for a new home
The Melting Pot is leaving its home on Rose Street after 13 years. We opened our doors as one of the first coworking spaces on the planet in 2007. Now we close those same doors, but with a clear vision for the future. This has been a difficult decision to make but, with all the new challenges posed by socially distanced working, our business model is no longer viable in this space.
The way we work has changed forever. We are making it our mission to ensure that, in the long term, this is a positive thing. We have championed flexible working since our beginning. In fact that is exactly how the coworking movement emerged. When technology began to allow people to work from home, we found there was a need for places where people could connect, but on their own terms.
Since then the coworking industry has grown rapidly and in places adopted a corporate, profit-driven approach. But the community coworking movement has remained strong. Until the crisis. Many of these community coworking businesses operate on small profit margins from rented spaces to prioritise their people and their impact. They have been hit hard as they are space-based organisations competing with other businesses with a much larger property portfolio.
Fortunately, as The Melting Pot is a mature space with some reserves, we managed to whether the initial storm. We are now working hard to make sure we survive long term. We have a coworking model that improves impact, equality and wellbeing. More recently we have learnt how to make workplaces safe for socially distanced working. It is our responsibility to share what we have learnt far and wide to help Scotland build back better.
We understand the challenges faced by workers and their organisations across the country. We know that, when it’s safe, universal access to coworking communities like ours would help address these challenges and contribute to Scotland’s economic recovery. This is an opportunity to create a network of coworking businesses: to utilise space that lost its function as the landscape changed with the crisis. It is a chance for workers and their local communities to decide what workspace infrastructure they need close to home.
People have had no choice but to work from home. This has not been easy but there have been some positive side effects. Removing long commutes from people’s working weeks has given them more time to spend as they choose. Working close to home is much greener and many local businesses have seen a spike in sales and profits. Organisations have learnt to use technology to communicate, connect and deliver.
Hyper-local, low cost coworking spaces would allow these positives to continue. People could split their time between home working and a coworking space within walking distance. They would have access to a safe workspace and a community that improves their wellbeing.
Of course, it has not all been positive over the last few months. Precarious work has become even more precarious and millions have been left without work or income. Inequalities that have plagued us for decades have been shown in stark contrast as they are exacerbated by effects of the crisis.
There will be long-term economic impacts and we are yet to see the extent of the economic downturn and loss of employment. Social change is more necessary than ever, and this feels like a crucial turning point.
It is essential that we use this moment to build back better and this requires action in many forms in many places. From the grassroots to the top level of government. We need infrastructure that facilitates this, and we believe a network of hyper-local, community focused coworking spaces is a key part of this.
For now, The Melting Pot’s focus is on scaling up our work in Edinburgh. We’re looking for a new home where people can find inspiration, motivation and a community of people taking action to make sure Scotland recovers from this crisis. We will adapt our proven coworking model for this new era.
We want to make sure we are ready to help people transition away from home working when it is safe to do so at scale. We’re speaking to people around Edinburgh and across Scotland to inform the next stage of The Melting Pot and the future of workspace. This research will also help us understand how better workspace infrastructure can increase wellbeing, productivity and community engagement.
The space where work happens has always shaped our communities, rights and wellbeing. From factories to the staff room, the places workers gather have formed the history of work. As we look to the future, we want to see that the workers of Scotland have access to good work and autonomy over their work practices.
We have an opportunity to create working conditions that work for people, not the other way round. Coworking will play a role in a fairer future of work. We understand that not all industries operate from an office, but shared, community led space can be applied anywhere. And this is the future of coworking. Communities taking things into their own hands and setting up the spaces they need in their local area.
