Bringing affordable, supportive spaces to the community of Bristol and beyond.

Accountants, artists, engineers and more, we know that when it comes to office rental, businesses need affordable spaces with the right support in place to help them grow. So that’s what we provide, no questions asked.

Our values

When defining our values, we asked our customers, staff, suppliers and other stakeholders what Spaceworks means to them. These reflect our core ethos:

Community

We are a business firmly rooted in the local community and aim to create employment opportunities in these areas.

Helpful

Our team strive to support and encourage the success and wellbeing of all our stakeholders

Secure environment

Our facilities are well maintained and we promote a safe and happy working environment

Customer Focused

Our staff and customers are at the heart of everything we do.

Respectful

We believe respect is the foundation of all business relations.

Our Impact

As a not-for-profit social enterprise, we reinvest our income into improving the economic wealth and vitality of disadvantaged communities in our area.

Our Community

We work with local suppliers – often those based in our business centres – and through our events programme we promote networking opportunities with the wider business community.

Our History

Bristol Spaceworks has been housing, helping, and supporting some of Bristol’s brightest brands since 1985. And we’re not stopping now.

Spaceworks Team

Matthew Johnstone
Chief Executive

What’s your role at Spaceworks, Matt?
Alongside the board, I’m responsible for the strategic direction of Spaceworks, and for managing and letting the available space. If you’re looking to sell a property that could be ideal for expanding our portfolio, I’d be very interested in talking to you – please contact me here

What background do you bring to the role?
I’ve got over 15 years of experience in the managed property market and joined Spaceworks in 2013. Before this, I led teams and managed commercial properties in England and Wales.

Leah Pepworth
Finance & Administration Manager (job share)

What’s your role at Spaceworks, Leah?
I’m jointly responsible for managing our financial accounts and overseeing our admin processes. My background is in administration management, and I’ve worked for both FE and HE providers.

Coral Wellington
Finance & Administration Manager (job share)

How long have you been at Spaceworks, Coral?
I’ve worked alongside Leah as Finance & Administration Manager since 2018. My previous experience is primarily in finance, administration and customer services.

Do you have any other roles outside work?
Yes, I’ve been the treasurer for many local organisations, including Umoja Women’s group and Easton Girls Football Club.

Jacqui Cunningham
Community Services Coordinator

Who do you help at Spaceworks, Jacqui?
I’m the first point of contact for customers and visitors at Easton Business Centre, so I look after meeting room bookings, business services,  also incoming, outgoing telephony services and mail services, fundraising and car park duties.  I’ve qualified as a mental health first aider at work.

What causes are you particularly passionate about?
Outside work, I spend time fundraising for several children’s, climate change, homeless and mental health charities.

Patrick Icke
Maintenance Supervisor

What is your role at Spaceworks:

My role at Spaceworks involves the daily undertaking of reactive, planned, and statutory maintenance, tests, and checks. I also assist with the organisation and management of larger projects relating to the buildings within the Spaceworks Estate, liaising with and supervising Contractors throughout the duration of the works.

What is your background?

I have worked in the industries of Construction and Facilities Management for roughly the last 15 years. I have training in various elements of Health and Safety and Staff Management, as well as having a wealth of hands-on maintenance experience.

Steve Parsons
IT, Safety & Maintenance Coordinator

What’s your role at Spaceworks, Steve?
I co-ordinate all the IT, Health & Safety and Maintenance works, and also help out on Reception.

What’s your background in?
My background is primarily in voluntary and festivals work, as well as film production, music and events management. I volunteer at the world famous The Cube Cinema and also run an event called Bluescreen, which promotes the work of local filmmakers.

Yasmin Qureshi
Community Services Coordinator - Redbrick House

What’s your role, Yasmin?
I look after the sales and management at Redbrick House, Spaceworks’ coworking space in St Pauls. I also manage Spaceworks’ social media and work with Matt on the company’s marketing and branding.

What are your other interests?
My background is in the Arts and I’ve been able to exhibit my work in numerous galleries around Bristol.

Neil Pirie
Chairman

How did you get involved in Spaceworks, Neil?
I was one of the founders of East Bristol Enterprise, which became Bristol Spaceworks in 2010. As part of that original team, I ran community and youth opportunity programmes in East Central Bristol – which highlighted the lack of affordable commercial premises for start-up and local businesses.
I’ve overseen Spaceworks from the early planning stages through funding, construction projections and the merger to its current position of running 7 successful locations in Bristol with ambitions for further growth. I’ve been Chairman for 23 years.

What has the rest of your career looked like?
Away from Spaceworks, I’ve had a varied career in local government in South Gloucestershire, at Liverpool City Council and at a community project in Toxteth.

James Hawkins
Company Secretary

What’s your role outside Spaceworks, James?
I’m a solicitor and managing partner at Meade King LLP in Bristol and head up their Company and Commercial department. Before that, I spent many years advising the Specsavers Group during the period of its rapid expansion from a small owner-managed business to a multi-national group.

And when you’re able to escape the city?
My wife and I run a 100-acre farm in South Wales breeding pedigree British White cattle and Lleyn sheep.

Michael Lloyd-Jones
Director

What’s your connection to Bristol, Michael?
I work for the independent trust, Power to Change, supporting community businesses across England. Before that, I worked for Bristol Energy – an ethical energy supplier owned by Bristol City Council, and was responsible for partnerships strategy and the company’s social good mission on renewable energy, fuel poverty and local communities.
I played a central role in creating the Bristol Pound (now Bristol Pay) and was a founding member of Bristol Local Food Fund.

Usman Yaqub
Director

What do you do, Usman?
I’m a chartered architectural technologist and director at Studio Yaqub based in Bristol, providing architectural and party wall services. I’ve worked on listed buildings projects including The Station, Bristol; Court Mills, Trowbridge; a large extension to Sainsbury’s supermarket, Stroud and multiple high-value construction projects in Vietnam. My main focus now is architecture where I advise clients – from homeowners to large developers – on various aspects of their schemes, providing architectural services from concept to completion.

Nina Mayler
Director

What’s your role, Nina?
I run Mayler Management Coaching which focuses on improving managers and team leaders to bring out the best in their people. Having worked across 10 different industries including serving as a charity trustee, I particularly enjoy supporting the SME arena.

Having had more than 20 years’ experience of managing teams and a background in retail management and training, I’m able to understand and respond to the challenges facing line managers in today’s business environment.

Peter Caldwell
Director

What’s your background, Peter?
I’m a chartered surveyor and have more than 30 years’ experience of commercial valuation and property development, with particular expertise in licensed, leisure and hotels.
Having dealt with planning departments, structural challenges and development issues – combined with experience running my own businesses – I’m able to offer advice to Spaceworks across a wide spectrum.

Chris Chapman
Director

How did you join the Spaceworks board, Chris?
I was previously Chief Executive of Spaceworks having joined East Bristol Enterprise as a start-up business advisor in 1999. As CEO I brought the Old Library and the Old Schoolhouse into the portfolio, which meant we substantially increased the number of lettable units available.

What’s your background before Spaceworks?
My roots are in the hospitality industry, and my catering company installed kitchens and bars for companies such as P&O, Railtrack, Hilton and Rocco Forte hotels, MoD, Orange and the Mick Jagger Voodoo Lounge in Leicester Square.

Spaceworks Directors

The Spaceworks board of directors includes a founding director from the company's incorporation in 1985 and a diverse range of skills that helps to steer the strategic direction of the company and provide support to the CEO.

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