ANDOVER'S flexible working space, which is operated by IncuHive Group Limited, has welcomed two new occupiers.

The Ugly Duckling project and The Andover Studio have now moved onto the fifth floor of Chantry House, which is owned by Test Valley Borough Council and is located in the Chantry Centre.

The Ugly Duckling project is operated by charity Andover Mind and will be open three days a week, having temporarily relocated from its previous location in West Portway. The project welcomes volunteers to help upcycle furniture and create new items from donated wood and materials. The project offers work experience and training opportunities, as well as the chance to volunteer. The Ugly Duckling project already has a pop-up shop inside the Chantry Centre where customers can purchase the goods created by its volunteers such as bird boxes, planters and feeders.

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The Andover Studio is a brand-new space available for photographers and videographers to hire for a variety of creative projects. The studio itself is a spacious blank canvas with fantastic natural light and the company offers a good range of lighting and studio equipment at the price of hire. Due to the nature of the space, the studio also makes a great fit for workshops, classes and many other types of events.

In 2021 Test Valley Borough Council secured funding of more than £200,000 from the M3 Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to deliver the flexible space in Chantry House with IncuHive. The fourth and fifth floors underwent a full refurbishment to attract new companies into the building.

Alongside the two new occupiers, the rest of the flexible office space is currently being used by small local businesses and start-ups spanning a mix of industries including accountancy, recruitment, architecture and education. There are now just two vacant offices currently available for hire.

Leader of Test Valley Borough Council, Cllr Phil North, said: “Since opening the flexible working space in 2021, it’s been really positive to see the co-working areas filling up. The offices are in a prime location in the centre of town with excellent transport links. Thanks to Test Valley’s purchase of the Chantry Centre in 2019, it’s fantastic to see this previously under-utilised space now encouraging businesses into Andover.”

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George Scott-Wash, chief executive officer of IncuHive added: “IncuHive are thrilled we have two new occupants on the top floor of our co-working and serviced office space in the Chantry Centre. Both tenants really complement our already diverse mix of small businesses and will complement the ever-growing community in the space.

“IncuHive is committed to driving forward economic development in the town centre and wants to help as many small businesses as we can achieve their growth potential by residing in our space and benefiting from both our support and peer-to-peer collaboration."