When your mission is as vital as ending youth homelessness, the last thing you need is workplace logistics getting in the way.
For akt, the LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity supporting 16-25 year olds across the UK, their old office setup wasn’t cutting it anymore. With a team of 40+ spread across the country, their Manchester contingent needed something different – a workspace that could flex around the varied rhythms of frontline support work, not force everyone into a rigid desk-based model.
“We had a traditional office, but the reality is that our team’s working patterns are really varied,” explains Alex, Operations Manager at akt. “Some people are out meeting young people at the Proud Trust, others are coordinating services remotely, and then there are days when the whole team needs to come together. Having two sites in Manchester means our Services teams are sorted and Work.Life is the right fit for our Fundraising, People and Operations teams that can focus on their work without the admin headache.”
Here’s what akt worked out: instead of paying for empty desks or forcing people into the office when it didn’t make sense, they built a flexible membership model with Work.Life Manchester.
Three unlimited memberships gave their most office-based team members total freedom – come and go as needed, with 24/7 access when late-night prep or early starts were on the cards.
A monthly bank of day passes covered everyone else. If you needed to pop in for a meeting, catch up on admin in a proper workspace, or just wanted a change of scenery from working at home, you could. No questions, no hassle.
“It fits how we actually work,” says Alex. “We’re not pretending everyone needs to be in five days a week. This gives people choice, and that matters when you’re asking them to show up and do emotionally demanding work.”
Most of the akt team gravitates toward the middle of the week, and not by accident. That’s when Work.Life’s member events hit: Wellness Wednesday, Beer & Pizza, workout sessions, and networking drinks.
For a team that’s often out at events or working one-on-one with young people, those moments of connection with other businesses and freelancers make a difference.
“Sometimes it’s just a couple of our people in the space at once,” Alex notes. “But they’re not sitting there alone. There’s a community around them – other small teams, freelancers, people building things. That energy matters, especially when your day-to-day can be intense.”
It’s not just about the office. It’s about belonging to something bigger, even when you’re clocking in for a few hours between external meetings.
Ask Alex what the biggest benefit is, and the answer is refreshingly practical: “We don’t have to deal with facilities.”
No chasing down cleaners. No negotiating broadband upgrades. No fretting about who’s restocking the kitchen or whether the heating works. The location’s sorted (great transport links), the amenities are there (meeting rooms, phone booths, kitchens, super-fast WiFi), and everything just… works.
“It makes our lives so much easier. We can focus on what we’re actually here to do – supporting young LGBTQ+ people who need us. The workspace stuff is handled, and that frees up headspace we can’t afford to waste.”
For a charity where every hour counts and every pound has to stretch further, that operational simplicity isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s essential.
akt’s setup is smart. They’ve built a workspace model that:
✅ Matches real working patterns instead of forcing everyone into the same mould
✅ Gives people autonomy over where and when they work
✅ Keeps costs predictable without long-term lease commitments
✅ Provides community and infrastructure without the admin burden
If your team’s work doesn’t fit neatly into a 9-to-5, desk-based structure – and let’s be real, no one’s does – this kind of flexibility isn’t just convenient. It’s how you make space for people to do their best work.
Ready for a workspace that works for your team?
Whether you’re a charity, a growing startup, or a team that just needs more breathing room, flexible workspace can help you focus on what matters.
Explore our Manchester space or find your new office here.
Tailored solutions for growing teams
Adding 10 or more team members? That’s exciting — and we’re here to help! For teams like yours, we offer custom membership options designed to fit your needs perfectly.
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