The future is coming to Poole in the form of a new and ultra-modern boutique co-working space from Adam Walker and Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM) called Foundry.

Foundry Poole Credit: Foundry

Foundry, a £3million project in The Dolphin Centre, Poole, is holding events prior to their launch on May 1, to demonstrate their working, selling and hosting options.

The first of 250 members moved in this week, including growth consultancy Aparo; Vault X, which makes binders and boxes for trading cards; property network Poole Property Club; and Mark Masters, leader of business community You Are the Media.

Adam Walker, co-founder of Foundry, said: “Foundry in Poole sits in a fantastic location in The Dolphin, above the bus station. That may seem like a strange juxtaposition for some but part of the mission of Foundry and co-founders LGIM is to reframe that experience.

“LGIM understand that shopping centres can no longer rely purely on retail for income. They have to reframe these spaces as assets to the community, somewhere people can go socialise and work.

“John Grinnell, Centre Manager at The Dolphin Shopping Centre, is more a ‘curator’ in the sense that he knows the shopping centre needs to be ‘future ready’.”

Ema Armstrong, Foundry Poole General Manager CREDIT: Foundry

Foundry aims to create a diverse, unique environment for people to come together to work, share ideas, network, and socialise with new connections made. The space enables businesses to choose a direct product that can be rented by the day, week, or month from a trusted landlord at the inception of their business.

March saw the appointment of a local Poole team, including General Manager, Ema Armstrong, who moved from general manager positions at various retailers such as Iceland and WH Smiths, where she gained more than 30 years’ experience in leadership, financial planning and business management.

Talking about the launch, Ema said: “Foundry is an innovative space where individuals and businesses can learn and grow from each other. Joining the team at this key stage enables me to be a part of Foundry Poole’s evolution into an incredible hub where people thrive.

“With the help of my colleague Esraa, I’m really looking forward to facilitating success for Foundry members.”
Both Adam and Ema are keen to highlight how the space will be bespoke to Poole and aims to encourage and foster new ideas and innovations.

Foundry Poole Credit: Foundry

Adam adds: “Local is really important to us and our voice in this Foundry is from that of Poole. The team love Poole. The people under Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council need to know they are welcome and this is their Foundry.

“We have a lot of nods to local enterprise and local heroes too. Our meeting rooms are named after le Carré novels!

“We know Poole is an aspirational town and, like many suburban towns it’s been under-funded and neglected. We’re local, relatable and aspirational and we want to propel Poole forward.”

On that front, Adam and Foundry already have big plans for the space and June will see a new partnership with Podcast Labs.

They plan to launch two purpose-built studios next to the reception area, making them available to anyone to use as part of their membership and The Podcast Lab will offer support with production and marketing.

Members are invited to enjoy 24/7 access to desks, offices and the lounge at with hot desking at Foundry available, starting at just £25 per day.

To register your interest, book a tour, or to find out more information about Foundry Poole, please visit foundryuk.com and follow @FOUNDRYspace on Instagram and Facebook.