Work-life balance for business people
The University of Salford is a key partner in a £1.5m development which supports local businesses at the same time as giving a new lease of life to an historic Salford building.
Spark Studio, on Great Clowes Street, provides attractive living and work space on the same site. It is already attracting University of Salford alumni, including Human Resources Management graduate Barbara Barlow (pictured right) whose business BeRight HR is based there.
Barbara, who also has a Masters degree in HR Management from Salford Business School, particularly likes being able to live and work on the same site, saving her more than 400 miles of travelling a month.
"It's ideal being able to share meeting space with all the technological equipment I need and also to have enough space in the office to expand", she said.
The University of Salford has a proud record of links with business. "We thrive as a university because of our strong relationships with industry and business and our commitment to contributing to the economic development of Salford and the UK", said Dr Adrian Graves, speaking at the official opening of Spark. "We are proud to associate ourselves with an innovative business model like this one which encourages the economic development of Salford through nurturing new business."
The Spark Studio Live Work project is a partnership between the University of Salford, Salford City Council, Contour Homes and Godliman-Watson Homes (Developer) and is supported by the European Regional Development Fund and the Homes and Communities Agency.
Another Salford Alumnus, poet Tony Walsh, performed a specially-commissioned piece at the opening. It is called:
SPARK! THE WARMEST WELCOME
We’ll spark a fire here
and build a bonfire. Inviting those who told us that it can’t be done
to watch our bright sparks launching fireworks!
We’ll spark a fire here
and kindle hard work and hope, commerce and community.
Resilience and brilliance!
We’ll spark a fire here.
and ignite the white heat of passion and perseverance.
Innovation and industry. Dynamism and determination.
We’ll spark a fire here
and crackle with the electricity of an electric city.
This engine of progress, with its spark plug ideas...
We’ll spark a fire here
We’ll forge new links. We’ll strike while the iron is hot
in this furnace of burning ambition.
We’ll spark a fire here.
And fuse living and working, friends and neighbours, business and pleasure.
We’ll weld our connections.
We’ll spark a fire here.
To blaze a trail. To signpost our crossroads.
To illuminate the shadows and storms.
We’ll spark a fire here
For the baking of bread. For the warmest of welcomes.
For the fireside of home.
We’ll spark a fire here.
We’ll spark a fire.
We’ll spark!
