The rise of remote and hybrid working is something that now defines the workplace. Freddie Fforde, a former consultant at Bain & Company, took the bull by the horns by setting up Patch in 2020.  His vision was to regenerate high streets to become more connected and livelier by empowering people to ‘work near home’ in neighbourhood workspaces.

The ambitious start-up has just secured €3.4million in investments to fuel its mission. Its first “community workspace” opened in November 2021, where it converted an old brewery-turned-restaurant in Chelmsford, Essex. The new funding will be used to open two new offices this summer, in High Wycombe and Twickenham – the idea being to take the concept around the UK.

Since Patch’s initial launch, over 5000 people have attended over 200 events. It is reported that 60% of Patch’s members are parents, and 4 in 5 are under the age of 44. The initiative is helping to provide greater flexibility to those who need to work remotely while addressing the challenges that come along with this style of work, notably the lack of connection. In addition, the hubs allow people to access the benefits of co-working without the costly commute while at the same time bringing life to local high streets.