Building potential at 10 Market Place.
Over the years, our charity’s work has focused on transforming empty central London buildings into thriving workplaces and venues, helping hundreds of artists and small businesses step-up in the process. Now, we’re looking at Somerset.
We quickly recognised an opportunity in the town of Shepton Mallet, home to two of our team. A town full of potential, with a strong community, and well located in the heart of Somerset, but with a struggling town centre and several empty buildings.
A conversation with a local landlord in November 2022 led to his agreement to sell the vacant shop and offices at 10 Market Place to us, and we proceeded to successfully fundraise to buy and renovate the property to bring it back to life as a community orientated project.
Our use of the property will be reviewed by our board and advisors annually to ensure that whatever use is being delivered, it is being delivered to the benefit of the local community.
Our philosophy
A town centre building isn’t just an asset.
Town centre buildings play an intrinsic role in the culture and heritage of a whole community. How a building appears and how it is utilised has a direct influence on community morale and the identity, prosperity and attractiveness of an area.
A landlord isn’t just a property owner.
Landlords hold the keys to a community’s potential. Landlords who participate in local culture, invest in the local community, help connect the community to their heritage and offer a proportion of their holdings at low or no cost to promote innovation and culture – enrich everyone.
Flexible and truly affordable spaces are essential for innovation.
To get our High Streets going again, we’re going to need more socially minded landlords. High Street entrepreneurs need flexible and affordable space to innovate and experiment. A one shoe fits all approach to tenants is clearly not working.