At Unloc we’re celebrating a momentous occasion at noon this Friday 11 December, as we and our partners, Westminster Kingsway College and Visionnaires, officially launch our first Changemaker Studios site at Westminster Kingsway College’s King’s Cross Centre.
Our dynamic innovation hub is dedicated to the advancement of entrepreneurship and leadership skills for students at the college and young people in the Camden borough.
Our King’s Cross location will be the very first Changemaker Studios site and will join Unloc’s network of further education colleges committed to developing young people as changemakers, entrepreneurs and leaders.
At the launch we’ll hear from representatives from the partnership organisations involved in bringing this vision to reality including students who will benefit from using the studio. There will also be a virtual guided tour so that people can have a sneak peek at our exciting new space before we officially open our doors to the public in January.
The space will host a wide range of Unloc training programmes alongside start-up programmes delivered by Visionnaires, a Capital City College Group social enterprise that supports and incubates new businesses.
Our vision is to launch Changemaker Studios sites at key locations across the UK over the next few years. This first location marks the start of our journey forwards with this mission.
Located at the front of Westminster Kingsway College’s King’s Cross Centre, our very first Changemaker Studios hub provides:
- Flexible events space for workshops on topics including entrepreneurship, leadership and social action.
- Hot desking for Westminster Kingsway College students starting up new businesses, charities or community projects.
- Collaborative office space for both Unloc staff and our partners working across the London area.
Unloc’s Managing Director Hayden Taylor said:
“We are so excited here at Unloc to share our very first Changemakers Studios space with you all. It’s been such a difficult year for everyone during these times of Covid-19, and the opening of our first location really is a testament to all the hard work, energy and commitment that has gone into making our vision a reality. This is a truly collaborative effort with Unloc, Westminster Kingsway College and Visionnaires all working together to create something really special that benefits the students and young people of the Camden area. We are immensely proud to share this with you all, and hope this will be the first of many locations across the country.”
Vice-Principal of Westminster Kingsway College Jasbir Sondhi, added:
“We are so excited to be working in partnership with Unloc and Visionnaires to launch Changemaker Studios. This first space for young people gives us an opportunity to broaden their horizons and inspire them to reach high and achieve their goals. One of our primary aims at Westminster Kingsway College is to provide learners with access to high quality opportunities and learning that aligns with the needs of workplace industries and potential employers. This new hub will strengthen this offer and expand our impact upon the futures of young people.”
Pablo Lloyd OBE, Chief Executive of Visionnaires, said
“More than ever, our communities need energetic support to shape their social and economic future. Changemaker Studios brings together proven and innovative expertise, helping emerging leaders make positive change for everyone’s benefit. I am immensely proud to be a part of this project and look forward to all the collaborations we will work on in 2021”
For regular updates on Changemaker Studios, what’s on offer and a sneak peek virtual tour of our Camden Changemaker Studios space – be sure to follow us on social media and click here to subscribe to our digital update!
About Unloc
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders and advocates Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. Our mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. We develop young people’s skills, enhance their potential and boost their determination to succeed. This is encapsulated in our ‘Developing Young Potential’ tagline.
We work towards our mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes in our growing network of schools and colleges.
The new Changemakers Studios space will see Unloc grow our provision and increase our London offer as part of our ambition to expand our reach and offer programmes in all English regions by 2023. In the 2018-19 academic year, Unloc’s programme reach increased by over 40% on the previous year to 10,910 young people.
About Westminster Kingsway College
Westminster Kingsway College is one of the largest further education colleges in London and is part of Capital City College Group, alongside City and Islington College and the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, and an apprenticeship and training provider Capital City College Training.
Its diverse student body includes around 14,000 learners, mainly from the wider London area, but also including those who travel further afield across the South East and abroad in order to study on its acclaimed vocational and academic courses. The college is based across four centres in Camden and Westminster, located in the heart of the city in King’s Cross, Victoria and Soho.
About Visionnaires
Visionnaires is a Capital City College Group social enterprise that supports and incubates new businesses. This is accomplished through a structured programme run by a start-up specialist, offering advice on what it takes to be self-employed, how to start your own business and encouraging people to turn their ideas into practical steps to get them to where they wish to be. Sessions include Marketing, Selling, Finance and Tax, a practice sales pitch and a bank of valuable online resources.
