FL3 is a combined machine lab and co-working space located in a city in the North of England. The organization was founded by members of the city’s technology community in June 2011, who had both collectively run Maker Nights in the city and shared office space, and decided to merge the two. The organization is structured as a Community Interest Company, with all profits re-invested into supporting the community through the workspace and its equipment. Desks are available to members for a fee, and the organization continues to host Maker Events in its dedicated workshop which contains both digital fabrication and traditional woodworking equipment. Whilst eligible for a variety of community, entrepreneurship, and sustainability grants, the organisation’s founders have intentionally set up the business model to be funded wholly through subscription fees and donations.
This CTP relates to the development of an ongoing relationship between the organization and the local university, permitting access to space, machines, and instantiating legitimacy, and early stage events and meet-ups
This CTP relates to the events that the organization ran over as a means of intentionally developing ‘real world’ community.
This CTP relates to the securing of work- and workshop space, to permit the formal foundation of the organization.
This CTP relates to the decision made to bring in an employee to handle administration, relieving pressure from the co-founders.
This CTP relate to the decision made by co-founders to articulate their deliberate decision not to seek public funding, despite moving through points when the organization was cash-constrained.
This CTP relates to the discussion made concerning the organisation’s purpose and growth strategy.
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