New Carnegie project a chance to create economic hub
IRELAND has many chamber alliance groups who do trojan work promoting the social and economic fabric of their community. But I doubt there are many with the same level of innovation and inspiration as Castleisland Chamber Alliance right now who recently opened a shared office facility in the Carnegie Building in association with Kerry County Council. This initiative will provide a ready-to-go solution for start-up businesses, home office workers, consultants, etc. who wish to work in a low cost office environment. PRO of Castleisland Chamber Alliance, Jeremy Burke, said such a facility will give start-ups a more structured environment to work in with a vibrant support network between people and businesses; one that also allows people to share ideas and interact as working from home often leaves workers isolated and cut off from networking.
“This has huge potential for the town and even if we get one business start-up, in a year’s time this could grow to employ 4 or 5 more people. It has the potential to spiral and this is good as it brings activity to the town. It’s all about creating activity which will have a knock-on for the wider area as well,” said Jeremy.
As part of the overall package, clients can avail of 24 hour access to desk space with lockable unit, free broadband, access to separate meeting room and canteen facilities in a secure town centre location - all for less than €50 per week. Heating, electricity and landline costs are also included and as Castleisland has free on street parking, this facility offers a sensible economic option for anyone seeking office space. “We’re very active as a chamber and we’re always exploring new ideas and ways to improve the town, so this project is a big one for us. We’re also in the middle of doing a town audit and health check which will assess where we’re at and what we need to do to improve the town from an economic, social and cultural point of view. We’re starting to see progress and it’s very gratifying to see the Carnegie project a reality,” Jeremy concluded.