A bit more background info.

The Escape Room, Dursley.

Our 1st Community Owned business is an opportunity for people to get together, interact, problem-solve and work as a team in a fun and safe environment. As a pop-up trial community business its aim has been to meet the needs of a target group whilst also acting as a test social business within the town. The Escape Room supports local economic development and has a considerable knock on positive impact to the wider local economy and well being of society.

How will this help grow new social businesses? Why start with an entertainment company?

The Engine is all about empowering local leaders to run new social businesses. A social enterprise is a business that helps people, planet and community by providing services that are needed and creating local employment for all. The Escape Room is a simple and fun way to start this. Cam and Dursley needed more activities for families and young people. This Escape Room is about developing a sense of community and pride in our town. Over the long term, Cam and Dursley has the potential to host a wide range social and entertainment activities (we want an axe throwing space and climbing wall - other ideas welcome - drop us an email). This will help create local jobs for our young people, draw tourists and others into our town and help our high street flourish.

More varied jobs, more local opportunities and more fun for all is the kind of community and economy we think would be good for Cam and Dursley.

The success at The Heist means Escape Room Dursley is fully established with two games available at 52 Parsonage St. The Conspiracy and The Pharoahs Curse are available on site and The Heist is available to book in its mobile format and travel to any location in our community.

Team Development Experience

Utilising our escape rooms to explore team dynamic. A facilitated session here at The Engine using an online personality app that enables greater understanding of each other, put into practice through a fun game with constructive findings and feedback. Bespoke days to provide for key objectives investing in people to benefit the business.

For more information contact Charlie: charlie@theengine.org.uk

The Artisan Market, Dursley

In June 2022 The Engine was approached to coordinate the Dursley Craft Market that had been run by volunteers for the past year. Following review we have rebranded and have great plans for its future. Take a look at The Artisan Market page above for more information.

Energising Entrepreneurship - local business to business support

The Engine aims to:

• be a signpost to professional services

• develop a mentoring scheme in partnership with community stakeholders eg GL11 Hub and Rotary

• lever in county services to Dursley and raise awareness of the benefits of self-employment, small enterprise start up and social business.

• Provide a supportive but ‘critical friend role’ in boosting the economic potential of Dursley

• Establish access to local support and be the first place to connect people with the wider county and national network. 

This is about connecting policy makers, political leaders, business people and our wider community together to build a vision for a new local economy. We want to raise the bar and raise the imagination for us all.

What would it look like if we had more of our economy locally focused on helping people, helping the planet and helping build community?

Our energising entrepreneurship programme is all about developing a new vision for our local economy. Utilising our enterprise hub at 52 Parsonage St, Dursley we invite people to join us on our adventure, bring their energy and help shape all our futures.

Start-up social enterprise incubation hub

Change only happens when individuals step up in leadership. Leadership is not about bold statements or grand plans but instead is about starting something new and inviting others to join in. We are building a hub for new social business leaders to come and get support, investment and resources they need to see a new future emerge.

It might be that your idea sounds small and simple but in reality most social change starts with things that seem small and simple- a young Greta Thunberg sitting outside her school or a Mark Zuckerberg starting a new social network aimed at students in a single American university- but they can change the world.

We have seen through the pandemic that the people in Cam and Dursley have the resolve, resources and energy to change, rapidly redevelop and rebuild local services and businesses. We want to tap into this spirit and ask people what new businesses we need in our community.

If you have an idea of something that might help Cam and Dursley be a better place to live then come & speak to us. We are here to help.