[Swansea Hackspace] [Notice] We're moving out - End of the Wind Street Space

[Shaun Woodrow]

Hi,

I have some space in a container in my garden which with a little bit of
sorting could hold a fair amount of stuff temporarily if that helps?
I imagine can manage about a 3rd of a 20ft container.
I am just outside swansea SA8 4DQ.

Shaun


On Tue, Sep 8, 2020 at 2:20 PM Sophie Shermer <lw1660 at gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Great suggestions, Paul.
>
> Given the current state of affairs, I think the best option may be to put
> equipment temporarily in storage.  There's almost certainly going to be a
> crash in the commercial property market in the next year or so, which may
> make commercial property more affordable to either rent or buy but I like
> the idea of buying some shipping containers (or even an actual ship), and
> converting them into workshop space for the community -- if the community
> help out this might not be very expensive and I'd be happy to volunteer.
> It would be work but a great community project.
>
> Sophie
>
>
> >
> > As an admirer of Hackspace’s community from afar, I would humbly like to
> offer my advice around the current situation with an “if I were you”
> summary of what I think could work. You may already be considering these
> options, apologies if there is repetition.
> >
> > - I would consolidate the position of hackspace and park the community
> by storing the equipment and asking the community to contribute that storage
> > - Run a community audit, where you audit the value of the community to
> the local economy and start to build up a financial picture
> > - Run a crowd fund and approach WCVA and/or other entities like UWTSD
> with enough of a case to raise a small capital position that allows
> Hackspace to BUY a property with a commercial mortgage
> > - consider anything! Mothballed Ships are fairly cheap and can be moored
> in the docks at a long term lease, containers are cheap to buy, think
> laterally and be creative, the more engaging the idea for the new
> hackspace, the more newsworthy and the more attractive to funders
> > - This would free up the community from the problem of a landlord,
> admittedly increasing other costs and burdens, but this would be a platform
> for a more credible entity. Easy and cheap landlord deals can seem good
> until you have to move out the 5th time
> > - Alternatively, try to strike a long term (+10 yr) fixed deal with a
> landlord, but with the above in place (including the capital position for
> fit out), factoring in growth and shrinkage into the contract
> >
> > We have been hit hard by COVID19 in TechHub and we are just about
> surviving, but it means some tough decisions to remain viable. Long term
> thinking seems a luxury I know, but it is worth it now to put in the
> foundations for the next 20 years of the hackspace.
> >
> > It would be an incredible shame to see the hackspace community be
> thinned out because it couldn’t find a suitable venue, as communities are
> so hard to build and nurture in this part of the world.
> >
> > — Paul_______________________________________________
> Hackspace mailing list
> Hackspace at swansea.hackspace.org.uk
> http://swansea.hackspace.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/hackspace
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://swansea.hackspace.org.uk/pipermail/hackspace/attachments/20200910/2e682499/attachment-0001.html>