DM Space

Mobile bar service created by Gloucestershire woman heads to new permanent base

by Business spotlightNews

A Gloucestershire woman who set up a mobile bar as a part-time project is hoping her new permanent HQ will help serve up even more success.

Leanne Matthews, 31, has lived in Cheltenham for the last 10 years and launched event bar hire business The Drunken Mare in 2018, providing cocktails and bar service across events, weddings and celebrations alongside her full-time job.

After two years packed with events every weekend, Leanne took the business on full time in 2020, launching an online cocktail subscription service to help the business survive during the pandemic.

The former insurance professional has now opened her first permanent premises at Space Business Centre Gloucester, where she is able to meet clients, manage stock, and experiment with new cocktail creations as she bids to take her business to more events across the country.

The Drunken Mare offers a fully customisable event bar service, with the mobile horse box able to switch between a gin bar, cocktail station, or beer shack – all specified by the hosts.

In addition to a range of festivals and weddings in Gloucestershire and beyond, Leanne provided bar services at Love Island winners Alex and Olivia Bowen’s luxury safari-themed baby shower last year.

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Leanne said: “I used to work in insurance and ran the bar hire business on the side every weekend. And then when the pandemic arrived, fortunately we were able to keep going by offering a home cocktail delivery kit.

“It feels like the business has come a long way since then, and it’s really exciting to now be moving out of the home as it continues to grow. We have a packed events schedule with lots of weddings and festivals, so it’s brilliant to have this new facility to help service this.

“To have moved out of my living room feels like a huge step, and I’m looking forward to taking the business to another level in the coming months and years with the flexibility of having a rolling 30-day lease.”

Lucy Iles, Site Manager at Space Business Centre Cheltenham, said: “Leanne is a fantastic addition to our business community in Gloucester, and adds to a really strong line-up of catering and hospitality specialists who cover events across the country from their base at Space Cheltenham.

“She is already well established in the region, and we are thrilled she has chosen Space to help take her business to the next level.”

To find out more about The Drunken Mare visit www.thedrunkenmare.co.uk

For more information about Space Business Centres Cheltenham and Gloucester visit www.aclloydspacebc.com

WhatsApp Image 2023-03-27 at 13.26.34

Gloucestershire businesses get behind local care charity

by News

Dozens of small business owners in Gloucestershire have thrown their support behind a local charity providing care and support for disabled children and young adults as part of a 12-month fundraising partnership.

Resident business owners at Space Business Centres in Gloucester and Cheltenham have chosen the Spring Centre, a Quedgeley based charity which provides care, advice and activities for 90 local children and young adults with additional needs and disabilities and their families, as their charity partner for this year.

The organisation, based at Gardner House in Olympus Business Park, is just a few minutes’ walk from Space Gloucester, with facilities including a playground, specialised sensory play equipment and a young adults centre to support their programme of activities.

Space Cheltenham and Gloucester are owned by property developers AC Lloyd. More than 100 small businesses operate across the two sites, and all will have the opportunity to help fundraise for the Spring Centre throughout the year thanks to the new link.

The first fundraising event, a coffee and cake morning, will take place on Wednesday, April 5 with all proceeds set to be donated to the Spring Centre.

The Spring Centre was established in 1994 and provides support throughout the Gloucestershire area, with services including after school clubs, sensory play sessions and day trips.

Gail Harrison, Marketing and Administration Assistant at the Spring Centre, said: “We are delighted to have been chosen as the charity partner of Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham for this year.

“The team have been so supportive in this early stage and I am looking forward to working with them to raise money for our wide range of activities and support that we provide to people across the area.”

During school term-time, the charity operates a preschool family drop-in service where parents can get funding advice and access support services, as well as themed sensory play sessions and after school clubs with hot food provision for children over eight.

The centre also organises day trips and respite activities for children over 8, family focused ‘stay and play’ sessions for children under 8 and a sibling support group during the school holidays.

It also runs a young adult day care service for users aged between 16 and 35, which includes a dedicated lounge area, kitchen and craft zone to support a weekly programme of skill-based learning.

Lucy Iles, site manager at AC Lloyd Space Business Centres, said: “It is wonderful to have a local charity that does great work in our community as our chosen charity for the year.

“We will be supporting the Spring Centre through various events and activities to raise funds, so they can continue to support disabled children and young adults, and their families in our community – and we hope to see lots of new faces at our first event in April.”

Xmas Space

Gloucestershire businesses band together to raise money for charity

by EventsNews

Small business owners from across Gloucestershire have joined forces to host an independent Christmas shopping experience in aid of a local hospice.

A host of street food vendors, bakeries and handmade gift creators will join other Cheltenham and Gloucester businesses to host Christmas at Space – a festive get together to raise money for Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice – at Space Business Centre Gloucester next month.

The site in Olympus Park, Quedgeley, is home to more than 50 independent businesses, with tenants set to be joined by residents of its sister site Cheltenham Space Business Centre, as well as guest businesses from across the region on Sunday, December 4 from 10am to 2pm.

In addition to a range of festive goodies on offer to the public, from personalised art and unique homeware to mouth-watering BBQ and baked goods and collectible models, Space Business Centres has teamed up with Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice to a host a charity raffle with a range of prizes available.

Space resident James Brown, of JB event hire, is a long-term supporter of the charity. He said: “It’s brilliant that the Space family and other local traders have come together to raise money for such an important local charity whist showcasing all of the great products and services they have to offer.

“It will be a very special event and one that I hope will continue over the years to come. We are really looking forward to this Christmas event and hope to see you all there.”

Alysia Cameron-Price, Community Fundraising Manager at Sue Ryder Leckhampton Court Hospice, said: “A visit to the Space event is a great way to kick-start the festive season and tick off some Christmas gifts from your list, all while raising vital funds for families needing our care.

“It’s an honour to see so many local businesses join forces to support us and we hope that the community will get behind them.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft. Their 30-day licences are designed to support new businesses that have outgrown the kitchen table.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “We are incredibly excited to be hosting our inaugural Christmas at Space.

“It’s a great chance for visitors to find out more about the incredible businesses that make up the Space family, as well as pick up some Christmas gifts and try some fantastic food.

“We hope that we will not only have a brilliant turn out in support of local small businesses, but also raise funds for Sue Ryder through our Christmas raffle, and we’d love to hear from guest businesses interested in joining us on the day.”

Manton Executives

Cheltenham man diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome opens first premises for six-figure start-up

by Business spotlightNews

A Cheltenham man who struggled to find work after being diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome has seen his bedroom start-up achieve a six-figure turnover – and has now opened his first premises.

Luke Manton, founder of virtual PA providers Manton Executives, has opened the business’s first permanent premises on the back of recent growth, and welcomed two permanent team members as part of ongoing expansion.   

Luke, who is 30 and grew up in Cheltenham, suffered brain damage and was diagnosed with Adult-Onset Tourette’s Syndrome in 2018. After a year-long job search proved unsuccessful, Luke decided to put his marketing and events experience to use and launched Manton Executives in 2020.

The business provides ad-hoc support with a range of online business tasks, from email and calendar management to video conferencing support and social media brand building, operating as a virtual PA from an hour per day.

Now, two years on from its launch, the business has a three-month waiting list for its services, which Luke and his team provide to businesses of all sizes as well as social media influencers and entrepreneurs.

Luke said: “It’s been a rollercoaster couple of years for the business from the uncertainty of setting up, dealing with lockdown, and then building a client base to now expanding, and having our first premises. It’s another huge milestone for us after achieving six-figure turnover this summer.

“It was a tough time for me before I set up the business. I had faced a lot of rejection and had put that down to my Tourette’s, so setting up on my own and then being successful has been a really positive experience, if challenging at times.

“I used to work on this site, and when I heard there was a unit available here, we reached out on a Wednesday and had signed for it on the Friday. It was a very quick decision, and now it really feels like the beating heart of the business as we continue to grow.”

“We want our office space to feel as much like a home as possible – a place that you look forward to working in and has a relaxed feel to it, as well as being inviting and comfortable for our clients.

“It’s all part of a collaborative, flexible working culture that we are building here and that really feeds into our interactions with our clients whether online or in person.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “Luke and his team are a fantastic addition to the Space business community, and a prime example of how our units are a great fit for business owners looking to open their first premises.

“The growth that Luke has overseen over the last couple of years is incredible, and we are thrilled to be playing a part in the next phase of his growth.”

For more information about Manton Executives visit www.mantonexecutives.com

To find out more about AC Lloyd Space Business Centres, visit www.aclloydspacebc.com

Pictured: Katie Dutton, Luke Manton and Jane Gillings of Manton Executives

WP 2

SPACE BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Street food favourites hitting the road from Cheltenham base

by Business spotlightNews

A street food business in Gloucestershire has set its sights on conquering the rest of the UK after expanding to a Cheltenham business park.

Cheltenham-based The Woozy Pig is hoping to take its high-quality burgers and hot dogs to festivals, corporate events and weddings nationwide after getting a taste for the national festival circuit.

The event catering business, which is run by professionally trained chef Matt Jefferies, only uses local suppliers and has become a favourite on the Cheltenham street-food scene with regular appearances at the Cheltenham Food Festival and other local events.

After moving to new premises at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre Cheltenham, the Woozy Pig has taken its street food truck to Wing Fest UK at the London Stadium and will head to Herefordshire for Lakefest, the UK’s fastest-growing family festival, in August.

Matt wants to take The Woozy Pig to more large-scale national events as it continues to grow.

He said: “We pride ourselves in using the best local suppliers to create real quality dishes for all sorts of events from weddings and celebrations to corporate functions and music festivals.

“We want to keep the momentum up now because we are gaining traction on the national circuit and are taking on more events in new places to showcase our food.

“Our new unit is a perfect size for us to achieve this as it is in a great location close to town with good national transport links for when we do head across the country for big events.

“We pivoted during lockdown to provide a ‘re-heat at home’ delivery service, which proved extremely popular and helped us to survive. Now that most of the major festivals are back up and running, we want to take our product to as many people as possible both in the region and across the UK.

“We are a fairly small team with just four of us working full time, so we gain huge satisfaction from seeing the business continue to grow, and having our fantastic base in Cheltenham at Space Business Centre and our amazing local suppliers has definitely played a part in that.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “It is inspiring to see the hard work that Matt and the team are putting into growing the Woozy Pig brand by consistently impressing wherever they go, and it is no surprise that they are making inroads on the national festival circuit.

“The Woozy Pig is a prime example of how our units can be a catalyst for entrepreneurs to turn a business idea into a success, and we hope that they will keep their strong local roots for years to come.”

Stay up-to-date with The Woozy Pig on Instagram by following @thewoozypig.

Trilvee pic

Pioneering transport start-up heads to Cheltenham for next phase of development

by News

An innovative technology start-up is looking to transform urban transportation from a state-of-the-art business centre in Cheltenham.

Trilvee, which is developing a teleoperated, on-demand transport service to minimise congestion and the need for parking and cut emissions in UK cities while reducing costs for road users, has launched the next phase of its development at AC Lloyd Space Business Centre in Cheltenham.

The company, which is based in London and comprises a team of software and automotive experts, is using the unit as a hardware and design workshop to test and develop prototypes, including a two seat, stabilised, three-wheel electric vehicle to meet most urban transport needs.

The lightweight fully electric vehicle reduces the energy used per mile compared to standard EVs without requiring the materials and energy of resource-intensive EV manufacturing, as well as mitigating the initial cost of a personal electric vehicle and reducing space and energy wasted on unoccupied seats.

Trilvee’s research suggests that around two thirds of all car journeys are single occupant and most of the rest are two.

Once a ride has been requested, an electric vehicle is driven remotely to the customer’s location. The customer gets into the vehicle and self-drives to their destination, whereupon they exit the vehicle, end their ride, and remote operators drive the empty vehicle to the next customer or for top up charging.

Trilvee hopes for its service, which is accessed by requesting a ride via a smartphone app, to start an initial trial in 2023 with full rollout to the public in 2024.

James Campbell, co-founder and Director of Automotive at Trilvee, said: “Space Cheltenham is a perfect development location for us as we have been able to tailor the unit to our specific needs while we perfect our design and hardware.

“It is a very exciting project that started as a conversation among colleagues in the automotive industry and eventually transitioned into an ambitious but achievable means of transport as we explored the potential benefits of on-demand, space-saving travel and how we might be able to bring it to market.

“The work that we are undertaking at Space is vital to our progress in the coming months and years, and the location in general provides opportunities for us to develop our extra-urban network further down the line, with inner-city travel the priority for 2024.”

Space Business Centres Gloucester and Cheltenham are owned by property development company AC Lloyd and offer flexible, multi-use units ranging from 275 to 775 sq ft.

Lucy Iles, site manager at Space Gloucester and Cheltenham, said: “It’s been fascinating to see the work that Trilvee has been doing and we are thrilled that they have chosen Space Business Centres as an ideal location outside of London to house their workshop.

“We are excited to see what James and the team can achieve over the next few years.”

For more information about Trilvee, visit www.trilvee.com