The Festival of Smart Work
The first Festival of Smart Work took place in Newquay on Halloween. It was part of Cornwall Chamber’s Festival of Business – and it was a remarkable event!
An absolute sell out!
Business Leaders travelled from all over the UK to talk and hear about the smart working revolution. We learned how it can transform company performance, productivity and bring real benefit to rural economies like Cornwall, Derbyshire and Cambridgeshire.
Crowdfunder’s #CSpace
The event welcomed more than 50 UK Bosses, local companies, MPs and professionals to Crowdfunder’s new co-working hub.
Advocates came together to discuss smart working opportunities and hear from Sam White, award winning CEO of Freedom Services Group; Kim Conchie, CEO of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce; and Sarah Howard MBE, Vice Chair of the British Chambers of Commerce.
The Team launched the concept of Smart Towns and Villages – by building on the investment made into superfast broadband, workers are empowered to work flexibly and remotely for employers based all around the country.
But what happened next was to spark a flurry of business and media interest.
Sam White, CEO of Freedom Group
Following the event, Sam put an impassioned post onto Linkedin. To date it’s attracted more that 60k views – so it’s fair to say there is an appetite for this new idea! Here’s what she said:
‘I’m going to ask my network on here for a favour. Last week whilst on holiday in Cornwall with my kids, I took a couple of hours out to go show my support and speak at the smart working revolution session in Newquay.
Most of my family live down there and for me it’s one of the most gorgeous places in the world. But the power of what they are doing with this goes way beyond Cornwall.
In the U.K. we have a massive disparity in economic opportunities by geography, and we have lots of extremely burnt out, stressed out, workers all fighting their way into places like London to compete for the highest paid jobs. I now believe it doesn’t have to be this way.
Ruth Gawthorpe and Smart Working Revolution Team are looking to build a smart working platform where talented individuals who live in Cornwall (or frankly would like to move there) can upload their skills. Businesses like Freedom Group, who don’t care where you work from, can gain access to that talent, without taking talent away from what is clearly an incredible place to live.
So my ask is this, if you or anyone you know would like to join and have the chance to live an entirely better kind of life, please, share this or email the team.’
Workin’ 9 to 5
A quip from Ruth Gawthorpe, CEO of the Smart Working Revolution encouraged further social media interest.
‘Smart working is about recognising that traditional patterns of working; nine to five, office based, increasingly doesn’t work for lots of people. No more Dolly Parton!
In small towns and villages across the UK, the commute to larger centres for office based or other employment, isn’t really viable for everyone. But there is an alternative, enabled by technology and training that can bring the jobs to the people, rather than the people having to go to the jobs’.
Well, our phone simply hasn’t stopped ringing!
Isn’t that just brilliant?
For more details on how you can become involved in the Revolution please request a call back or contact us
