Join us at 43 Bromham Road!

We have space to rent at 43 Bromham Road, Bedford.  A great opportunity to join other organisations from Bedfordshire's voluntary sector with shared facilities and full reception services.

We already house a diverse range of groups who rent space with us. One of these is Community Led Initiatives (CLI)  who have been in the building with us for several years since starting a new project here in Bedfordshire.  CLI provides one-to-one mentoring and group services to people who want to move away from socially-excluding behaviour, including substance misuse and offending. The aim is to reintegrate people back into society

We talked to Bev about her experiences sharing 43 Bromham Road with Community Voluntary Services and other local organisations. She told us that

" there are so many reasons why being here works for us"

Here are some of the reasons she gave us :  

• It is just right, location wise, with easy access for everyone. It is helpful for CLI to be close to the Department of Work and Pensions building and other services in town and it is really important to CLI that the office should be situated in a safe, open and public area.  

• To have the office on the first floor, and next door to a bookable training facility, works very well for CLI, and they are able to use the facility to run workshops, activity groups and training with ease and convenience.  To have the option to use training rooms on evenings and at weekends is great.

• There are no worries regarding access to the building, since having their own keys, they can come and go as they please and there is no requirement to be out of the building at the end of the day by a set time. 

• Working alongside other groups and charities that use the building brings benefits – it has been useful to learn about what other groups are providing and be able to sign post people to these services.  Everyone is friendly, and ‘there is a good vibe around the building’.

• CLI are very happy with the support service provided by CVS, in connection with their lease.

• Staff are responsive to requests

• At reception, there is always someone available to give information to callers, at times when they might be absent.

• All the staff are great with their volunteers etc, helping them to feel comfortable and relaxed. The service they receive from staff on reception has been ‘over and above expectation’.

• Costs are reasonable and CLI feel that they get good value for money.

Bev went on to say that perhaps the most unexpected bonus for CLI, in renting office space at 43 Bromham Road, has been how the set up and welcome received by their beneficiaries as they visit the building, has helped to ease the transition into their service. It makes a real difference for their clients to be able to enter a public building which is not a clinical, treatment based environment, and where they are treated as customers alongside the many and varied other users of the building. It is the perfect setting from which to build the community based support which CLI provides. 

“We feel very lucky to have an office here and we truly value the support from the CVS team – it all helps to create a safe and welcoming environment for all the people we support!."

The building at 43 Bromham Road is owned by The Harpur Trust. They lease the building to CVS to help provide a home for charities.

If you would be interested in finding out more about the office space that is available here for small organisations in the voluntary and community sector in Befordshire, then you can read more on our website here, or contact us through info@cvsbeds.org.uk, tel: 01234 354366