Thriving Barnsley centre sponsors charity ball

Our Oaks Business Park in Barnsley is thriving after a refurbishment and has recently lent its support to a charity ball.

The business centre has been forging links with nearby Barnsley Hospice. The centre, in Oaks Lane, has started holding monthly coffee mornings to raise money for the charity and now it has agreed to sponsor the drinks reception at the hospice’s Glitter Ball.

The event, which includes a formal dinner for 280 guests, takes place on 16th July 2016 at Holiday Inn, Dodworth.

Business Centre Manager Zoe Wadsworth says: “As well as sponsoring the drinks reception, we are purchasing a table so we can have a presence at the event and network with other businesses.”

When Zoe started working at the centre eight months ago, it wasn’t supporting a particular charity. She was keen to get Oaks Business Park more involved in the local community so she started building a partnership with Barnsley Hospice.

Since then, Zoe has completed the Santa Dash, a 10K fun run at Barnsley’s Locke Park, in December, raising more than £100. And she is planning more fundraising ventures in the future.

Makeover boosts occupancy

Zoe and her team have also led an impressive refurbishment of the centre, which has seen occupancy increase from 72% to 87%.

• The business centre’s communal spaces have been given a stylish new look, with new carpets, flooring and wallpaper and a more modern and vibrant colour scheme.
• The reception area has been redone and improvements have been made to the toilet facilities.
• A new communal area has been created where customers can relax and socialise
• There are now two meeting rooms available to hire.

The final phase of the makeover is being completed now and will see new doors installed in the centre.

Zoe explains: “The refurbishment has really helped to create a better first impression on people visiting the centre. Before, the property looked a little dated but now it looks welcoming and professional.

“One of our long-standing customers had been away on maternity leave and she told me she couldn’t believe the difference. The centre now has a totally different feel.”

She said the new look had helped attract new customers and there were now just five office units available.

Zoe is also launching a monthly networking event, starting in June. The event will take place on the last Friday of every month and experts from outside the centre will be invited to come in to talk to customers on different subjects during a 10-minute spotlight slot.  It is hoped that the new event will help strengthen the sense of community at the centre and allow customers to network with each other.

For more information on the services and available units at Oaks Business Park, please call Zoe on 01226 241 427.