By Sarah Walker
26 August 2026
Sole traders and small businesses’ chance to work in supportive environment
A rare opportunity to secure commercial space in a prestigious business park setting has arisen, aimed at supporting small businesses and start ups who may have previously felt that high-quality office space was out of their reach.
The Wynyard Coworking Space is run by entrepreneurs Michael and Kat Carruthers, who have personal experience of the loneliness and isolation that can be felt by businesses in their infancy – and the impact this can have on founders’ mental health.
This prompted them to open up their premises on Wynyard Park as a coworking space, where entrepreneurs could work in a productive and supportive environment with other businesses, including HR professionals, marketing and PR professionals, software developers, photographers and academics.
At a recent event, the pair heard how Tees Valley Combined Authority has pledged to increase access to good quality commercial premises in its Local Growth Plan, which sets out the Authority’s ambition to be a place where businesses start, grow, invest and lead.
Both Kat and Michael are keen to play a part in this agenda, as the Authority aims for the Tees Valley to be a place where businesses of all sizes thrive and where innovation is supported, investment is secured and enterprise creates lasting opportunity for local people.
“The TVCA has pledged to increase business births, improve the business environment and business survival rates and increase access to finance and opportunities to scale up as part of its plan to increase regional prosperity for all,” said Kat.
“Through our own experience of setting up companies like Carro of Wynyard, Carro Weddings and Hugo Bea, we know it is very difficult for small businesses to find like-minded business owners who share the frustrations associated with getting a business off the ground.
“We have always had each other to lean on, but we know from our own experience that it can be very lonely and isolating until you start talking to other owners of similar-sized businesses and find they are experiencing the same challenges.
“That is why we opened up our workspace to others to create a supportive community.”
Michael and Kat’s Community interest Company (CIC) NetWORK NotWORK also has a base at the Wynyard Park premises.
The CIC was set up to give businesspeople across the Tees Valley the opportunity to come together for fun, informal networking sessions.
Both Kat and Michael also have a genuine interest in supporting neurodivergent entrepreneurs and creating opportunities for young people, offering meaningful work experience within their companies.
One of the businesses working in the co-working space is SASS media, a communications consultancy owned by former journalists Sarah Walker and Sarah Dale, who are also directors at NetWORK NotWORK.
Sarah Walker said: “The co-working space at Wynyard provides everything we need to run our business and support our wider work with NetWORK NotWORK at the same time.
“The facilities are fantastic and include meeting rooms and a well-equipped kitchen space.
“The ‘glass room’ in particular is great for collaborative meetings and brainstorming ideas, with access to everything from state of the art interactive screens to more traditional whiteboards and flipcharts.”
She added: “We have seen a significant increase in productivity working within these offices and it is also beneficial working around other businesses, as we all learn from each other.”
The NetWORK NotWORK team recently launched Careers Navigator, a gamified careers and employment platform, which is already providing learner support to dozens of apprentices in the construction sector, many of whom have additional learning needs.
The platform also has the potential to support young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), as well as providing schools and colleges with a well-rounded careers education resource, with particularly benefits around raising aspirations in areas of social deprivation.
Michael says: “Through our group of companies, including NetWORK NotWORK, we have created a supportive ecosystem of business owners and young people at all different stages of their career or business journey – and we are very proud of what we have achieved in this regard.
“Businesses who work in our coworking space can access a wide range of advice on marketing, PR, social media and website development, as well as HR for those who progress to employing people within their business – all under one roof.
“We are looking forward to welcoming more businesses within our Wynyard Park coworking space and collectively benefiting from their expertise.”
Michael and Kat welcome business owners to attend free trial days using the co-working space at Wynyard Park, which has six desks available, with prices starting from as little as £150+ VAT per month.
The space also includes a studio, which can be hired by businesses and creatives to create professional social media images and photography, videos and podcasts – with photography and videography experts on hand to help.
People who pay for desk space benefit from use of the studio for up to eight hours per month at no extra cost but those who don’t need a desk can still book to use the studio separately which has a Facebook page at Teesside Studio Hire.
For more information on the dedicated desk spaces and to contact us for a free trial day, visit https://wynyardcoworking.co.uk/
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