What is CotswoldJelly?
Jelly is a casual working event. It’s taken place in over a hundred cities where people have come together (in a person’s home, a coffee shop, or an office) to work for the day. We provide chairs and sofas, wireless internet, and interesting people to talk to, collaborate with, and bounce ideas around with.
You bring a laptop (or whatever you need to get your work done) and a friendly disposition.
Jelly started in NYC in February of 2006 when roommates Amit and Luke realized that they loved working from home, but they missed the creative brainstorming, sharing, and camaraderie of a traditional office. (Office politics, not so much.)
So they started inviting friends to come work from their home one day a week. They soon found that working in close proximity to new and interesting people every couple weeks resulted in new ideas and interesting conversations. Emboldened by their early success, they made it a more regular thing. Jelly was born.
I was offered the “opportunity of a lifetime” back in 2008 – to go my own way(!) So my passion for both business development and social media led me to Breakfast Networking meetings, but now it was on my own behalf! I evangelised a lot, met a great bunch of people (some of whom have become friends), & hopefully helped some actually “get it”. I did those for 14 months before I really got the message – there was still something missing!
Looking around to see what else was out there, I found my first Jelly, and attended several more, in Bristol, organised by @LeeCottier as @CoWorkingWest. I certainly learned that “Meet, Like, Know, Trust” was a fundamental of both camps. So I looked for one closer to home in Gloucestershire – nothing! Lo, my challenge appeared.
One of my invaluable networking contacts had put me in touch with the Gloucestershire Media Group (GMG)who had just moved into a wonderful new office in the Docks. They share with the “Nexus Project”, a higher level education training collaboration between Gloucestershire College, University of Gloucestershire & the University of West of England.
Between them, they had some superb training facilities, one of which I could “borrow” in early April, and the CotswoldJelly was born! It’s a pretty good fit with their raison d’être too – some fine synergies:-
“The GMG was formed in 2003 to support the development, integration, and expansion of media companies, freelancers and activity in Gloucestershire.”
“Growing Creative Business in Gloucestershire” is their strapline.
One of their members was kind enough to make a short, snappy, video of our inaugural meeting – you can find it here. Naturally, anyone in the Creative Sector is especially welcome at any CotswoldJelly!
Unlike the breakfast meetings, Jelly is a pitch-free zone, but it’s quite right, wonderful things do happen when like-minded people get together in that sort of relaxed, community, vaguely work-oriented, environment! Even in meeting number one, two local business people, previously unknown to each other, though perhaps only 10-15 miles apart, began doing business together. And the numbers grew in meeting two!
For this reason, we are very keen to find other amenable venues around the county – Cheltenham, Tewkesbury, Stroud, & Cirencester for instance. Whilst the venue will get free publicity, and people through its doors that may otherwise never know of its existence, we do have the temerity to ask for provision of the facility free of charge for the event, and use of a kitchen if at all possible! The organiser provides tea, coffee, milk & biscuits and charges those who wish to partake, a nominal fee to cover. Meet strangers, make friends!
More details and booking links, here: http://wiki.workatjelly.com/Cotswold-Jelly
Bio
Howard Moorey advises businesses, organisations, and individuals on how to use social media and social networks to build relationships and deliver value.
You can reach him at: howard at hojomo.com
or catch up on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter
as @hojomo @cotswoldjelly& @debtDrGlos
“Home is where the heart is: Cotswold Hills, UK”