More than Coworking

Indoor Climbing Team 'THE YOLKS'

‘More than Coworking’ is almost the first piece of text you see on our website, but what do we mean by it? Pre-pandemic the term coworking had begun to look a little bit like a car park – people paying to rent time at a desk. The seemingly endless cycle of lockdowns taught us that our members were really coming to yolk for the people and the community that had begun to grow.

This led us to refocus our attention on creating spaces and opportunities for our members to meet and get to know each other. While others will pay lip-service to the idea of community, few actually follow through on this.

How do we gauge the success of this approach? That isn’t so easy except the positive reviews on Google and other places. One way you could evaluate it is by looking at how often members meet each other outside the work environment and in that sense we can boast a very positive score thanks to ‘THE YOLKS’ indoor climbers.

THE YOLKS - indoor climbing team

A simple WhatsApp activitiy group started organically by one of the early yolk members Nick, has blossomed into a hub of activity where members coordinate their visits to a local climbing centre. Large groups meet on the weekend (sometimes midweek too) and enjoy each other’s company while negotiating the challenge of bouldering.

Earlier this year regulars on the climbing wall decided to step up their effort and enter an international competition hosted at MOOD.

THE YOLKS Climbing Team was born with the motto ‘WE DON’T BREAK EASILY’.

Supporting Community Activities

Seeing such friendships and connections blossom is one of the most rewarding things for a community-focussed coworking space. It is an indicator that yolk has a positive impact on people’s lives. We were more than happy to support this new team at the competition with sponsored t-shirts to increase their spirit of collectiveness. So how did they do?

The Competition

On the day several people competed for THE YOLKS, with around the same amount there to cheer on and take pictures of the day. MOOD had been transformed entirely into something that more resembled a nightclub with pink and purple hues and loud music motivating people to achieve more.

Some of the team went out fast and tried to complete as many climbs as they could, while others enjoyed the spectacle and made the most of the social side. What connected all them in the moment was the incredible team spirit. Supporters giving advice and motivation and helping to create the energy for the climbers to achieve their best.

Part of something bigger

Creating the opportunity and moments for people to connect is one of the biggest motivating factors in a community first approach to coworking. At yolk we try to facilitate this through the types of spaces available to members but also the activities we organise. It is even more pleasing to see that the seeds of community that we planted have grown into a flourishing tree with an abundance of organic growth – whether that is members meeting for coffee or a chat, cycling together on the weekend or organising each other for a climbing competition.

Thank you to Agata & Diana for the photographs

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