The Engine Hub
A space owned by the community to meet, share ideas, explore enterprising opportunities and enable a vibrant local economy.
Community retail space - have a side hustle? Come talk to us about how we can promote your product and / or service.
The Community Gallery - have an exhibition idea? Need a big area to work in for a period of time? Wish to display your work, product or service? Check it out and book the space.
Space to hire - from a cosy Boardroom to a shopping experience we may have the space you dream off to make aspirations come true.
A bit more background info.
The Engine draws on expertise from our community partners, providing a driving force of energy to develop and support opportunities for social businesses in Cam & Dursley.
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.
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.