I spent last week settling in at our new home in the centre of Stafford. Our second Staffordshire Chambers’ of Commerce Members’ Lounge is…officially open and ready to welcome our members for ad-hoc hot-desking, client meetings and networking opportunities with your fellow members.
It’s five years since we opened the Members’ Lounge at our Festival Park office in Stoke-on-Trent. An empty office was brought back into life with some bright, funky office furniture and a warm and welcoming layout. Who knew that within less than a year, the space would be empty again, with the entire country forced into lockdown, due to the pandemic.
Back in the Spring of 2020, meeting colleagues on Teams and Zoom, became the norm, along with the all too ubiquitous call of, “You’re on mute!” Thankfully, lockdown came to an end and over time, we took the decision to re-open our Members’ Lounge and welcome members back into Commerce House.
Our Members’ Lounge perfectly serves the needs of those who prefer not to spend the whole time working from home. Chamber membership is all about bringing members together and over the last five years, there have been countless connections made, generating new business and contacts. Two people sat next to each other as complete strangers at 9.15AM, have started chatting and by 9.29AM have realised the potential benefits of connecting. Having a hot drinks dispenser on hand, also helps!
With the success of our Stoke Members’ Lounge, we’ve decided to open up a Stafford Members’ Lounge. We’re in the open plan area to the rear of Ground Floor Reception at Staffordshire Place 1 (Or SP1). It’s Staffordshire County Council’s main office in the centre of Stafford and getting here couldn’t be easier! We’re less than a 10-minute walk from Stafford Station, which serves a number of local and national destinations. Pay and display car parking is available across the road at Civic Centre on North Walls, or nearby at The Waterfront Car Park.
SP1 is sandwiched between Stafford Library and The Verso Lounge. The Members’ Lounge is open to Chamber members only. On arrival, sign in at SP1 Reception and you’re in! You can connect your device to Gov WiFi. To create a Gov WiFi account, text ‘Go’ to 07537 417 417. You will then receive a unique Username and Password, which you will use whenever you access WiFi at SP1.
You’ve found a free desk and chair and connected to the WiFi. All you need to do is make a brew and you’re ready for some productive work! If you’re popping out for a break, please remember to support our diverse mix of town centre retailers.
It’s so important for us to have a base in Stafford, with lots of many positive developments taking shape in our County Town. Over a thousand years of Staffordshire’s history is to be brought to life in an exciting new heritage project, with the opening of Staffordshire Heritage Centre. Newcastle & Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) is due to unveil its Institute of Technology (IoT) in mid-2025, as part of a Station Gateway development. Stafford Borough Council has acquired The Guildhall Centre and former Co-op store on Gaolgate Street, in a bid to speed up the pace of major regeneration in the centre of the town.
We’re thrilled to be in Stafford at such a pivotal moment for the County Town’s development and we hope you’ll drop by and join us.
