Best in field: Worthwhile Use

Whilst it may have taken a little more time to identify and house each of these businesses, we believe that it has enriched the community. One business owner managed to raise £200,000 through crowd-funding and said that the space provided to him at FIELD allowed him to save enough money to employ his first team member, one of the first milestones in the growth of a business.

6 of the original 8 entrepreneurs felt such an impact from the success and community cultivated whilst hatching their businesses at FIELD that they have established their own limited company. With the help of U+I, Leftfield, as the company will be known, has identified a new space where they can once again work with and support each other. U+I is proud to have been able to bring together such an dynamic mix of creatives that have formed genuine personal and professional relationships.

But the story doesn’t end there, after securing planning permission, construction at Preston Barracks will begin in early 2018 – the next stage in our delivery of a £300m PPP project, creating 1,500 jobs, providing hundreds of new homes and injecting over £500m into the local economy over the next 10 years. Our work with FIELD has provided the inspiration to retain a co-working community within the final development. Once complete, Preston Barracks will be home to a brand new Central Research Laboratory where start up and early stage makers will be able to test and develop their products. Productivity is essential to making places like Preston Barracks work as a mixed-use community, and we are excited to be supporting the next generation of growing entrepreneurs in Brighton.

These are the entrepreneurs that have conceived Leftfield:

Control Freq develops unique entry systems, evolving the technology behind intercom and door-entry systems into advanced on-demand car park access systems for ‘Airbnb of Parking’ providers. Control Freq said:

“During my time at FIELD, my business grew threefold and I gained determination and focus for the next few years. It’s been pivotal in turning my business around, getting more focused and feeling more positive about my business and personal future.”

P Kirkwood creates handcrafted, functional and stylish leather bags and satchels for both men and women, including utility goods such as tool rolls and aprons. P Kirkwood said:

“Being around like-minded people in business is very important. I now have a great set of like-minded colleagues, who help each other out with all kinds of business as well as product development. FIELD has given me the opportunity to grow my business, but also to meet new friends and be part of something that is constantly evolving.”

Play Talk Learn is a start-up dedicated to innovating early learning. Play Talk Learn said:

“The support from U+I has allowed us to focus our efforts and consolidate our work. We have learned a lot about collaboration from FIELD.”

MakerClub is a network of after-school clubs based in the UK designed to teach invention and all the skills that come with it, in order to build a world-wide squad of creative thinkers, designers and problem solvers, ready to take on the world and remake it for the better. Makerclub said:

“When we joined FIELD, we were hoping to make connections with a community of start-ups in the same position and grow our company without the burden of high rents. Having [that] space has enabled us to make these mistakes, learn from them and develop our direction.”

The Intrepid Camera is a handmade wooden 4×5 film camera, which combines modern manufacturing with traditional carpentry to create a beautiful handmade and lightweight professional product. Union Motion is a socially responsible engineering and innovation group that works on electric power systems for lightweight vehicles.