MEANWHILE WAY

How we do things
Experimental. We like to try new ways of doing things. Agile. We’re able to adapt our approach quickly. Tenacious. We’re up for the challenge. Cultivating. We help create supportive spaces.
Mission
Our beneficiaries include seed and startup development stage businesses who require affordable space with flexible terms and support to thrive (or fail). And local communities in typically neglected areas, who gain from facilities, activities and services that improve community cohesion, skills and access to employment.
The following three processes define what is unique to Meanwhile Space projects:
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Unlocking underused space
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Extensive on the ground engagement
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Opportunity to flourish/fail
Our team has a proven track record in London Boroughs including Haringey, Waltham Forest, Brent, Lambeth, Lewisham, Sutton, Hillingdon, Croydon, Islington, Tower Hamlets and Southwark, as well as Hastings and North Somerset, working with multiple stakeholders in a considered and nurturing way to achieve maximum impact.
Meanwhile Space is the pioneering social enterprise at the forefront of Meanwhile uses, creating vibrant communities by bringing temporarily redundant space into productive use. We unlock underused space for the benefit of community cohesion, placemaking and enterprise. This is typified by finding wasted space, transforming unloved visible, interesting, dilapidated, difficult buildings, into something useful.
People starting out struggle to find space to start and grow their creative or social enterprise. Meanwhile Space brings vacant assets into use for affordable and easy access space for startup enterprises, communities, and better places.
Meanwhile Space’s model reduces the financial risk to individuals, which encourages entrepreneurship and reduces the financial burden for those who are financially excluded. This increases the time individuals can give to develop their enterprise without accruing big liabilities, and results in creating more jobs for themselves and others. This also increases the diversity of business and services, and the involvement of communities in their local area.
Explainer video
Meet the team
































Recognition
Shortlisted for the UK Social Enterprise Awards for Social Investment Deal of the Year (2022) The Hithe, Rotherhithe
Best Design in the EMEA category for the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards (2022) The Hithe, Rotherhithe
New London Awards Community prize winner (2021) Ebury Edge, Westminster
Willesden Green Shortlisted in the Great British High Street awards Rising Star category (2019) Queens Parade as contributor to Innovation category
NatWest SE100 Index (2019) Top 100 Social Enterprises
Finalist for the Hubble Office of the Future Awards (2019) Tripod, Brixton
RIBA London Award (2018) Central Parade, Walthamstow
Haringey Design Awards Best Regeneration Finalist (2018) Blue House Yard, Wood Green
New London Architecture Awards Meanwhile Use Commendation (2018) Blue House Yard, Wood Green
European Prize for Urban Public Space 25 Finalists (2018) Blue House Yard, Wood Green
MacEwen Award Commended (2018) Blue House Yard, Wood Green
Civic Trust Awards 140 Regional Winner (2018) Blue House Yard, Wood Green
WISE 100 (2017) Emily Berwyn, Director, Meanwhile Space
Estates Gazette Collaborators Award Finalist (2017) The Platform, Lougborough Junction
New London Awards Mayors Prize Winner (2017) Central Parade, Walthamstow
Waltham Forest Design Awards Winner, Most Creative Building Re-Use (2017) Central Parade, Walthamstow
BPF Tomorrow’s Leaders Innovation Award Winner (2017) Emily Berwyn, Director, Meanwhile Space
UK Social Enterprise Consumer Facing Award Finalist (2015)
DCLG’s Great British High Street Award Finalist (2014) Coming Soon Club, Wembley
SE100 Growth Award Finalist (2013)
Luton’s Best Community Award Winner (2009) Luton
Our work on Meanwhile use was highlighted in The Portas High Street Review for Central Government as a way to help make town centres more vibrant places.
Our spaces have featured extensively in the media, including the BBC, Guardian, Evening Standard, Conde Nast, Architecture Journal, Time Out and Sunday Times.