Fraser House, Lancashire County Council’s (LCC) co-working hub based at Lancaster’s White Cross business park, is this month enjoying a double celebration.
In addition to being five years since plans for its creation were first revealed, it has just been recognised by Prolific North as one of the north’s very best workspaces in their prestigious annual Tech Awards.
Just pipped to the top spot by Manchester’s Turing Innovation Catalyst, some of the judge’s comments which accompanied Fraser House’s Highly Commended accolade included “an awesome example of the power of regional communities in fostering innovation” and “the progress has been astonishing, and the impact it has had on the wider ecosystem is incredibly impressive”.
In summary, the Prolific North judging panel said: “Fraser House Hub is a standout entry for Tech Hub of the Year, demonstrating a forward-thinking approach to fostering economic growth, innovation, and inclusivity in Lancashire’s tech and digital sectors”.
An inclusive and community-based space
Fraser House’s growth and success has not happened by accident, and since day one the space has focused on building a community of businesses which support each other – and can work together – to boost innovation and drive growth.
Financial education company Munny is one company that has benefited massively from Fraser House’s collaborative values.
Andy Lang, Munny’s founder and MD, said: “There’s an incredibly supportive peer-to-peer culture throughout the building, and members really want each other to do well. My business has definitely grown because of that spirit of partnership. In fact, I’d go as far to say that Munny only exists because of Fraser House and its community.”
Another Fraser House member Dr Zoe Detko, who runs the sustainability consultancy Ardea Eco-Innovation, echoes Andy’s sentiments: “I had just started my company when I joined Fraser House and support from other businesses really helped me get established. Some became collaborators, while others made introductions, and my biggest client project to date came via a member recommendation.
“I also was recently accepted onto a NatWest accelerator programme as a direct result of the Fraser House team encouraging me to apply.”
Being an inclusive space, and supporting more women-owned businesses like Zoe’s, has been another of Fraser House’s core objectives. In recent years, female membership has grown significantly, and the venue is home to the Women in Lancaster Digital Network (WILD) – a group set up by Fraser House member Dr Alice Ashcroft specifically for women who work in technology roles.
Adding value to members to drive growth
Helping to bring professionals from different backgrounds together also underpins Fraser House’s extensive programme of workshops and advice clinics. Covering everything from coding to accounting, these free sessions not only help to equip members with new skills, they allow members to network and share ideas.
A recent survey of members highlights this strategy is working. Of the 67% who had successfully scaled their businesses since being based at Fraser House, 65% stated they had collaborated with other members in the process.
Fraser House also plays a key role in helping businesses access funding and hosts regular events focused on investment readiness and early-stage finance. In addition, LCC’s VC finance initiative fhunded was piloted at Fraser House, and its success was a significant contributing factor to the recent Prolific North tech award.
A private and public sector partnership approach
As well as the support from LCC which helped to create Fraser House – including a £1.5m investment which transformed the former linoleum factory site into the modern, hi-tech workspace we know today – its existence also owes a lot to the efforts of Lancaster tech entrepreneur Michael Gibson.
In 2019, he lobbied Lancashire County Council over a lack of office space for growing digital companies. Michael, who also sits on the Lancashire Innovation Board, said of the venue’s origins: “I was involved in a concerted campaign by Digital Lancashire to highlight the county’s lack of office space for ambitious digital companies. As part of that, we produced a report which showed that an absence of suitable stock was restricting Lancashire’s economic potential, and that tech talent was having to leave the county.
“The message got through, and LCC’s subsequent investment in Fraser House helped to transform a dilapidated factory building into a workspace specifically geared up for growing tech businesses. The fact my business Fuuse is based here is testament to the quality of the facilities.”
Commenting on Fraser House’s success, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for Economic Development and Growth, Aidy Riggott, said: “Five years ago LCC, together with partners from Digital Lancashire and other local stakeholders, announced our vision for Fraser House. At the time we said the venue would appeal to fast-growing digital companies and startups, and be a space where people can network and collaborate on projects.
“I’m delighted that Fraser House has successfully fulfilled those objectives, and that it continues to enable and accelerate innovation-led growth in line with the objectives of the Lancashire Innovation Plan and LCC’s overarching economic strategy. Here’s to the next five years.”
