In just a few short years, flexible working has become the norm as employers see the benefits - financial and otherwise - of a more nuanced approach, and employees increasingly demand it.
In many industries, the idea of turning up to the office for eight hours, five days a week, is simply a thing of the past, and all sorts of alternative models have emerged.
Award-winning workspace provider is at the forefront of that shift with three different locations, in Leeds city centre and across the Liverpool City Region, offering their members a range of workplace solutions, from ad-hoc desk and meeting room bookings to entire private offices with their name above the door.
Avenue HQ is dedicated to nurturing a healthy and viable ecosystem by reacting to demand and modifying heritage buildings to best suit their members’ needs and working trends.
The company's location at in the centre of Leeds was the second of three to date, the others being in Liverpool at and . The latter recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with a series of events that showcased the space and brought their customers together.
East Parade in Leeds is situated in an authentic Grade II-listed building, housing contemporary workspace facilities whilst maintaining the building’s original features and Yorkshire heritage. With its rooftop terrace with city-scape views and on-site cafe-bar run by IF Up North, it's a welcoming, comfortable and professional space to do business and meet clients - and it is currently undergoing refurbishments to accommodate increased demand.
Avenue HQ is a proud partner of , a nationwide network that supports ambitious startups and scaleups and offers support and expertise, tailored learning and programmes to help businesses innovate and grow.
AHQ is one of few independent businesses to provide two Eagle Labs hubs - one at Mann Island and the other at East Parade where dynamic young businesses like Leeds tech recruitment firm G.Digital have worked extensively to take their activities to the next level.
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“Avenue HQ offer bespoke offices, alongside meeting and conference rooms kitted with the latest technology, including video-conferencing software and interactive screens supplied by Clevertouch, to ensure our members experience a professional and seamless environment," Sarah added.
All three locations are centrally located in architecturally-striking buildings with transport links and leisure amenities such as chic restaurants and bars, directly on the doorstep.
The first Avenue HQ location at the striking Mann Island on Liverpool’s Waterfront is home to famous Merseyside faces, Talk Twenties and The Anfield Wrap, as well as global IT consulting company, CGI 海角视频. Members can enjoy up to 15% off at its cosy cafe-restaurant, Nova Scotia!
St Paul’s Square has become an eco-hub for recruitment companies and solicitors, and a home for the networking group Women In Property, among others.
"At Avenue HQ, we’re passionate about helping our customers find the perfect balance between work and life," Sarah added. "Our spaces are thoughtfully designed to be more than just visually appealing - they’re places that feel welcoming, energising, and inspiring.
"While we love hosting events like pizza nights, yoga sessions, networking lunches, and showcasing our invaluable partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs, it’s our Community Teams who make the real difference. They connect with our members on a personal level, offering support and encouragement to help them reach their goals and grow in their own time and way.
"This has resulted in boosted productivity, improved wellbeing and has fast-tracked growth for countless businesses. More and more businesses - particularly the blue chips who you wouldn't initially think would speak to flexible office providers - are searching for this flexibility and scalability.”
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The Avenue HQ team are continuously innovating ways to encourage flexible working and bring local communities together. Recently, Avenue HQ celebrated St Paul’s Square’s fifth anniversary with a series of events that showcased the space and brought their customers together.
“We had a week of five events - one for every year of St Paul's Square,” said Sarah Kelly. “Our main event, Pitch & Pizza, where a number of entrepreneurs pitched to us why they would thrive within our co-working environment, but also how they felt that they could grow and benefit from the services we offer, and the additional resources such as our partnership with Barclays Eagle Labs.
“The prize was a year of free co-working across all three of our locations, and I'm pleased to say that both of our winners, Alex Keyter, Founder of Generative Minds 海角视频 and Caitling Lewing, Co-Founder of Girls on the go, have been consistently in and out of all three buildings - so it's a prize that's already been well spent."
Winner Alex Keyter added: “I’ve only been a member for three weeks now and I’ve met loads of people who I get on really well with, including fellow small businesses and startups. This is a place where I’m accessing the best possible support, the nicest people and the best resources to be able to take what I do and just grow infinitely.”
Community and collaboration gets to the heart of what Avenue HQ are all about - they see themselves less as a commercial property firm and more as facilitators for an ecosystem of forward-thinking businesses.
They stay connected with companies outside of Avenue HQ and regularly host pop-ups with external vendors and local businesses, many of which their members can enjoy an exclusive AHQ discount with via their app.
Additionally, they have partnered with Zoe's Place - a hospice that has captured the heart of Liverpool - for over two years, and Cheshire-based PAPYRUS: Prevention of Young Suicide. The Avenue HQ team really goes the extra mile to support these charities that mean so much to them, this year taking on the Yorkshire 3 Peaks and collectively raising more than £4000.
Barclays Eagle Labs' Sher Galer said: “We always look forward to welcoming new members at Avenue HQ and we look forward to supporting their endeavours further with the support of Barclays Eagle Labs”.
Five years since opening their third location at St Paul’s Square, thoughts now turn to their fourth. But it’s a decision that won’t be rushed:
"We are actively exploring opportunities in the market to secure Avenue HQ’s fourth, and potentially fifth or sixth, location," said Sarah Kelly. "Choosing the right building is absolutely critical for us, it must align seamlessly with our brand and meet all the criteria that make our spaces exceptional.
"Each of our current locations offers something truly unique: the rooftop bar at 10-12 East Parade [in Leeds], the waterfront views at our iconic 17 Mann Island location, and the stunning floor-to-ceiling windows at 4 St Paul’s Square. We’re committed to maintaining this standard of excellence as we expand.
“I am incredibly proud of our phenomenal Avenue HQ team, vibrant community and strong culture we’ve built at Avenue HQ. These elements are key to our success, reflected in our impressive 86-98% occupancy rates across the portfolio and a 93% customer retention rate. We’re also fortunate to have team members who have been with us since day one in 2017, growing alongside the business and carving out remarkable careers. At Avenue HQ, we deeply value our people - they are the heart of everything we do.”