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What are the Hub’s official opening times?
The Hub’s opening hours are 08.30 – 18.30 at present. We’ll be moving towards 24-hour access very soon and are currently trialing various options to make this happen!
How do you access the building? How do you let someone in? Do you have disabled access? As a maker, co-maker or mission Birmingham member you access the building with the personal pass provided to you at induction. It is generally the job of the hosts present each day to let someone in, but should no one be around to answer the intercom, please do so and use your initiative and judgement when allowing guests access. Should you be expecting guests at a certain time, please notify your space host who will then be ready to receive them with a warm welcome and point them in your direction. This is an essential part of ensuring they don’t wonder in feeling lost and uncomfortable! Where possible, take the time to greet them at the entrance upon arrival to ensure the warmest possible welcome to the Hub. If you’re directing a guest, please inform them that our main entrance is on Oxford Street and that they should hit the telecom labelled ‘Impact Hub’. Our entire premises has disabled access and we have a lift to reach the second floor.
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How does car park access work?
We do not provide car park access to our members at the Hub to avoid congestion and ensure easy access for deliveries. Should you require disabled parking or temporary access for a delivery or emergency, please notify a host.
Where can you leave your bikes?
There are a number of bike racks located by the main entrance and in the courtyard. Please be sure to lock your bike securely – all members use the bike racks at their own risk.
Where do I collect my mail?
Should you have Impact Hub Birmingham as your business address, please collect your mail from the mail board in the studio. Should you wish to have Impact Hub Birmingham as your primary business address and this isn’t included in your membership, please speak to a host who can arrange this for you at a small admin fee of £15 each month.
Will there be a Host on site at all times?
Each day a minimum of three hosts will be present within the space in the roles of space host, events host and coffee host. Space hosts will be responsible for the general running of the space, tours and inductions, events hosts will manage any events taking place that day and coffee shop hosts will whip you up a brew. The large screen above the host desk at our entrance will not only outline key developments and updates, but also display who the hosts for that day will be. Hosted hours are between 08.30 and 18.30. We’ll be moving towards 24-hour access shortly and
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members will be informed when they have this option.
How will I know the day’s upcoming events?
Each morning the glass wall at the front desk will be updated with all events happening in the space that day. To view what’s on ahead of time and whether we have any upcoming events in the space, we will shortly be installing a monthly calendar at the host desk and in the meantime please view the google calendar on our website.
If I have any queries regarding my membership, whom do I contact? Most questions should be answerable through Yammer. Should that not be the case, your next port of call is our Head Host who should be able to answer your query and point you in the right direction.
If someone is interested in becoming a member, how do they go about doing this? The best way to become a member is to book a tour online. That way, individuals can come and see the space, meet with us, experience the community first hand and get set up on Nexudus, our payment platform.
I’ve become a member! Yay! What’s next?
Amazing! We’re thrilled to welcome you! The next step will be to book an induction via our website. Not only will we set up your personal WiFi and access card, we can introduce you to the 54
community and will be able to kit you out with our all important Impact Hub merchandise, including your very own mug shot and personalized mug on the mug wall of fame.
If someone would like a day pass, how do they go about arranging this?
If you would like a day pass to the Hub, all you have to do is turn up on the day and make a payment of ÂŁ15 to use the space, enjoy unlimited hot beverages in our coffee shop and have access to our super fast WiFi from open till close. As a member, should you wish to host a guest in the space for longer than 3 hours we ask that you purchase a reduced day pass at ÂŁ10 per person. We also have a limited number of free day passes that come out periodically, so watch this space!
Do we have an official Hub manifesto?
Yes we do. The full Member Manifesto can be found online on Yammer, as well as at the front of this book!
What is each space called? What goes on within each?
On the ground floor, directly to the left of the main entrance and hosting desk we have the Coffee shop. The surrounding area of yellow floor space is ideal for chats over coffee or brief meetings with guests. In the centre of the ground floor, through the glass doors, is the Studio. With two anchor desks and an arrangement of desks and chairs, this space is a quieter area for more heads-down focused
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work and we ask all members and guests to respect this. At the far end of the ground floor is the Workshop. With our stage at one end and our maker space and kitchen at the other, those working in this area can expect plenty of lunch-time chatter and more audible conversation. The Workshop is also home to our weekly maker nights. Upstairs, we have the Town Hall. As the larger of two rooms on this floor, this room is an ideal event space for larger groups. The Lab can be found next door. A smaller, airier room, the Lab can fit a surprising number of people boardroom style and acts as the perfect breakout space for larger events requiring the entire upstairs. Across the courtyard is our Play Space. With green grass, plenty of chairs and tables, this room provides privacy on those days you’d like a private meeting or team exercise. Our Workshop, Town Hall, Lab and Play Space are fully equipped with AV and all areas of the Hub are connected to super fast WiFi. Should you require further details about each of our rooms, including capacity, prices, discounts and photos please visit: http:// birmingham.impacthub.net/host/ or alternatively consult our events handbook.
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Where’s best to take a private phone call?
It’s best to take a private phone call outside, to guarantee privacy and avoid any sound travelling.
Which desks are permanently reserved for organisations and individual members? In the Studio any area clearly signposted with a logo is permanently reserved.
Which areas and rooms can/need to be booked and how do you go about doing this?
The Town hall, Lab, Play Space (and Workshop after 7pm!) are bookable spaces. Should you require further details about each of our rooms, including capacity, prices, member discounts and photos please visit: http://birmingham.impacthub.net/host/ where you will find the above details as well as our booking form. Whilst the huts on the ground floor are free to use, they are bookable for up to 2 hours a day. For more info please consult our events handbook.
How many people can you host within each event space?
Please visit: http://birmingham.impacthub.net/host/ or consult our events handbook for further details. We can host between 12 and 90 people in our spaces dependent on set up specifications.
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What’s the policy on tea/coffee and catering at events?
We pride ourselves on serving the finest in caffeine here at the Hub. At events we can provide 1 serving of tea/coffee & biscuits at £1.50+VAT a head, or for £3.50+VAT a head, unlimited servings throughout your event. We’ve worked with EastSide catering to hone a menu serving a variety of hot and cold options at various price points. Our menu is available to view online and a copy is also present at the host desk. Should you have specific dietary requirements, a lower budget or a particularly large event to cater for, we are more than able to make custom arrangements. If you have any further queries with regards your event, please speak to the events host or email events@impacthubbirmingham. net.
What time will evening events commence in the space and which areas are likely to be booked?
Both the Playspace across the courtyard and The Lab and Town Hall upstairs are permanent event spaces and as a result are viable (yet unlikely!) to be booked everyday. We have an alternate entrance to limit the disturbance this may cause to our members. Downstairs, the Workshop is bookable every day from 6.30pm onwards. We encourage members who wish to stay past this time, to move to a different space should they find it distracting. 58
How often is this likely to happen?
The workshop is likely to be booked after 6.30pm a couple of times a week.
Can I invite guests into the space for a meeting? If so, for how long and where? Can they have tea and coffee? All members can have a guest within the space for up to three hours a day. Past that member’s guests are required to purchase a day pass at a special discounted rate of £10. We generally encourage our members to host their guests and smaller meetings within the coffee shop area to avoid overcrowding and loud conversations in other areas suited to individual and heads down work. Should your guests fancy tea or coffee, a donation of £1.50 per drink in our generosity jar would be appreciated. Please use the paper cups provided in the coffee shop and be sure to place them in the recycling when finished. Should your guests require water, you can collect a jug from the kitchen. Once again, please ensure you wash this and place it back where you found it when finished.
How do I use the projector?
There are instruction sheets next to each of our projectors. Failing that, speak to a host who should be able to get you up and running in no time!
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What is the official coffee shop policy? Is there a limit to how much tea/coffee members and guests can drink? All members are entitled to unlimited tea and coffee in their personalised mugs. If you fancy a filter coffee and there are two jugs of coffee resting on the machine, please finish the coffee on the top stove first before drinking the most recent brew. It will be piping hot and freshly brewed we assure you; coffee is not something we do by halves!
Should you require a specialty coffee (anything other than a filter) please ask our coffee shop host who will brew you up a storm. A selection of tea pigs can be found in each of the jars on the windowsill, please boil the red kettle and help yourself to milk from the fridge. After you’ve had your caffeine hit and figured out which tea pig brightens up your day, we ask that you clean your mug and place it on the mug wall prior to leaving each day. In addition to this please use the service respectfully to avoid wastage and to ensure unlimited tea and coffee remains a viable option for our community going forward.
In the coffee shop and communal kitchen area, what is the tidying and cleaning policy?
Our policy is simple: if you eat in it and you drink from it, it’s your responsibility to wash it up. The only exception to this rule is when events have ordered catering from Eastside, in which case please empty your plates in the bins provided and put all used plates and cutlery in the same area for our caterers to collect. 60
As with most families and communities of old, the kitchen is the gathering place that trumps every other. The hub family is no exception to the rule. We truly believe the kitchen is where the magic happens and as such it ought to be treated with a certain amount of respect and maintained with real pride. Keeping the kitchen clean and tidy is not only hygienic; it’s crucial to the space running smoothly. We’re pretty sure that people who change the world wash their mugs. Mug washers are World Changers. Admittedly not quite the old adage but consider it our new trademark.
How do the dishwashers operate?
We have dishwashers located in the kitchen and coffee shop with an instruction manual next to both. Should you have any difficulty, please speak to one of our hosts who’ll show you in person.
For cereal and other goodies how much should I place in the generosity jar? We recommend a minimum of 50p for cereal so we can keep the cereal bar topped up with fresh breakfast delights. In the coffee shop we recommend £1.50 per drink for guests.
Which food can I eat in the kitchen?
Food in the fridge labelled ‘What’s mine is yours’ is there to be shared with all our members. The same goes for anything on the counter top – including biscuits and cakes. To maintain this steady stream of generosity, we ask everyone to contribute to the fridge and worktops contents from time to time and to avoid hoarding all the cake no matter how good it tastes. We know it’s a hard ask,
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but sharing is caring people.
WIFI/NETWORK How do I access WiFi? Is there a guest pass also?
During member induction you’ll be set up with your own safe and secure connection to the members network. For guest access to our WiFi, please speak to a host who will provide you with a WiFi code.
What is the cost of printing? How do I connect to the printer?
Makers are entitled to 10 pages of B/W per week. If you’re unsure whether you’re eligible, please review your membership online. For all other members, printing is 5p per page to be handed to our host please.
How’s best to connect with the community online? Is there an official list of all Hub members and their contact details? We live by Yammer at the Hub. For those of you not yet familiar, it’s akin to facebook for work, with plenty of groups, your own profile and chances to share your own developments and encouragement. You’ll also have the opportunity to connect with all our members through Yammer where there is a full directory.
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How often will we have social activities as a Hub? In general, there are 3 types of events held at the Hub:
BY Impact Hub Birmingham: All events hosted and curated by the Impact Hub Community. WITH Impact Hub Birmingham: For ideas or projects that align with the mission of our community, we love to co-produce events and programs. AT Impact Hub Birmingham: Events hosted at the Hub but curated by your own team. To view when each of our spaces are free to book, please check the calendar online, within the space or alternatively email events@hubbirmingham.net with any queries. Going forward, we will host and curate the following social events at the Hub. For the exact times and details, please check the community events noticeboard. Weekly • Hub Breakfast Club • Open Project Night • Afternoon Tea • Sun & Moon Yoga Fortnightly • Potluck Lunch • Hub Grub
Monthly Hub Unplugged Trade School: Peer to Peer sharing Talk of the Town – Town Hall Members Meeting Quarterly Hub Suppers Yearly Hub Birthday! 63
If I’ve noticed any unfair or disrespectful behavior whom should I take up my grievances with?
As per the contract, it’s well known we don’t accept any form of spiteful behavior in the space. Initially, we ask that you take up the issue directly with the member concerned, communicating in a calm and open manner. Should you feel this has resulted in little to no change, please speak to a host and depending on the seriousness of the problem we will take it to a higher level. We have a strict anti-bullying policy here at the Hub as it is something we feel very passionately about. Please note any bullying can result in termination of your membership.
How do I access the global network?
On yammer, you will find a group named ‘global network’. Let us know who or which community of individuals you are hoping to communicate with and we’ll connect you to the right person in the right place.
How often are the space/toilet facilities cleaned?
Three times a week. If you wish for this to be increased, please let us know.
Where can I locate the first aid kit?
In our DIY Kitchen, on top of the metal shelves.
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In the event of a fire/emergency:
We encourage you to look at the fire exit plans dotted around the Hub. On each plan there are multiple fire exits clearly labelled. Do not use the lift and please waste no time in collecting belongings. Our hosts will be on hand to direct you calmly in single file towards our assembly point on Oxford Street. To get there, turn left at our main entrance, walk straight ahead for around 100 yards and turn right into the open-air car park.
Emergency contact details:
In the first instance please consult our Head Host Nikki Bi. She will be able to handle the situation or connect you to the right person very promptly. Nikki Bi nikki.bi@impacthub.net Mobile: 07807 777 601
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