Ian Waller enjoys a day as a co-worker at House of St John’s in Bath
The thing about being a parent and a running a company or working from home is that the lines start to blur between family and work time. Suddenly you’re struggling to fit in a schedule and business meetings between school runs and play dates, the corner of the bedroom becomes an office and before you know it, that five minutes chasing emails after dinner turns into three hours during which time you’ve not see your children once.
This is where co-worker spaces come into their own in a big way. The good news is that Bath has a number to choose for, offering different styles and membership deals, from by the day desk rental to full office suites on a three year lease, all serviced and looked after by the in-house team. This allows workers the chance to spend as much time as suits them in an office environment, along with the services, networking and office chatter that goes with it, while also being able to be part of a modern family.
The newest of these co-worker venues is House of St John’s on Queen Square, right in the middle of Bath. Having visited on a number of occasions – both as a co-worker and for networking events – I can really appreciate everything that it has to offer business-mums and dads.
Throughout the five story Georgian townhouse there is a wonderful range of co-worker spaces, meeting rooms and offices, as well as a very comfortable library, excellent showers complete with towels and toiletries (just the thing if you’re cycling to work) and kitchen areas offering free hot drinks. The memberships range from a few days a month at £152 a month, to dedicated desks from £600 a month and full offices, either furnished or unfurnished.
Add in excellent meeting rooms, regular events including regular networking get-togethers, breakfasts and even yoga, and the appeal of St John’s House really takes hold.
My most recent visit was on a wet Friday in an effort to catch up with an overflowing email in-box, a couple of hours of accounts (and how much fun is that!) and at least two phone meetings. As with previous visits, the welcome from the reception team was warm, making sure that I had everything that I needed, before I took my spot in one of the lounges, next to a radiator to help distract me from the early autumn rain hammering down outside.
OK, point number one – the wi-fi here is excellent, a given you might think but something that has been lacking in other co-worker spaces. In addition, there are plenty of choices around where to sit, including space for peace and quiet, as well as the chance to share more communal areas and benefit from a more office chatter type of vibe. For the former, the library is perfect, allowing you to sit back in old-school wingback armchairs and really focus on the heavy stuff, helped by this being one of the phone call free areas of St John’s House.
Instead I chose one of the ground floor areas, handily close to the kitchen offering free tea and coffee. Wherever possible, all of the teas, toiletries and other other supplies at St John’s House are locally sourced, which seems perfectly apt for a venue looking after local businesses.
Among the regular users at St John’s House is James Cornwell, the founder and managing director at Curated Property, a property company for high-end short term-rentals in Bath and London. James hires a dedicated desk which he shares with his wife, allowing both to work away from their home in Wiltshire while also fitting in the school run to the edge of Trowbridge for their five year son.
“Having a desk share works for both my wife and me, as I generally work here Monday to Thursday in between the school run, and then she uses the space on Fridays. The networking side of the venue has already proved really beneficial, resulting in a number of really useful contacts and a couple of firm business connections.”
Joanne Menon is another St John’s House regular, a Spiritual & Creative Wellness Coach with one of the excellent offices on the fourth floor, complete with a view out over Queen Square. It’s here that Joanne runs a series of workshops and private sessions with clients from across the region and beyond. “Having an office at St John’s House works so well for me as it’s a great address and close to home, meaning that I can walk to work. With 24 hour access, I can come and go when it suits me, plus there is always space available for meetings and group sessions with clients.”
Combining excellent facilities, a variety of memberships and a prestigious address, House of St John’s offers a great range of work space options for businesses in Bath. Give them a call today on 01225 486486 or visit https://hosj.co.uk/ for more details.