Exclusive first glimpse at Newcastle College’s new Enterprise Hub for local entrepreneurs

Entrepreneurs across Newcastle are set to gain access to a new enterprise hub on the outskirts of the city centre.

Newcastle College has unveiled its new space for local entrepreneurs and businesses to work, meet and share ideas.

A ten-minute walk from Newcastle Central Station, the enterprise hub will form part of the new Synergy Hub development on the college’s main Rye Hill campus.

Situated on the first floor of Rye Hill House, the Enterprise Hub will provide a range of co-working and meeting spaces to local businesses and entrepreneurs.

In addition to 20 bespoke desks, the hub will include a range of features including wifi, printing, secretarial and events facilities, as well as access to the building’s second-floor executive boardroom.

The Enterprise Hub will sit alongside the college’s new Apprenticeship Hub and Digital Hub, the latter of which has already received £180k investment into new equipment and will incorporate a commercial training facility for upskilling.

The brainchild of Grant Glendinning, executive principal North at NCG, the Synergy Hub has been designed to support the city’s businesses as well as utilise space formerly used as the college group’s main headquarters.

Following the move to agile working for the majority of its office staff during the pandemic, Grant saw an opportunity to create flexible COVID-safe workspace for local entrepreneurs as well as benefit the college’s students with access to business specialists.

Andrew Esson, director of industrial strategy at the college, explained: “I am really excited about this concept, which has evolved out of conversations within Newcastle College about how we can bring enterprise directly onto our campus so our learners can discover entrepreneurialism without having to leave college.

“We envisage our Enterprise Hub offering city centre office space, coworking space, meeting and event space, and are keen to engage with entrepreneurial businesses and individuals who might be interested in having access to our facilities.

“There will be a commercial element involved in accessing the facilities, but we are keen to explore how users of the Enterprise Hub could in effect become our ‘Entrepreneurs in Residence’, working with our learners across a range of curriculum areas to create a spark of entrepreneurialism!”