Second Mountain Comms, the specialist independent consultancy led by ethically-driven chartered PR practitioner Ben Veal, is celebrating its first successful two years in business with a refreshed brand identity and a brand new studio right here at Glove Factory Studios.

Despite their age, Second Mountain Communications have already notched up a few awards including ‘Mark of Excellence’ for Independent PR Practitioner of the Year at the 2022 CIPR Excellence Awards and also won Gold in the same category at the 2021 CIPR Pride Awards for the South of England and Channel Islands. They have been two-time Bath Life Awards finalists and were named ‘Start up of the Year’ at the 2022 Creative Bath Awards!

Since launching, Second Mountain has delivered strategic and meaningful comms support to a host of local, national and international clients, including the Charlie Waller Trust, one of the UK’s leading mental health educators, Wiltshire-based humanitarian charity People against Poverty and Business against Poverty, the ethical movement of philanthropic business leaders. With 20% of its activity delivered pro-bono, Second Mountain’s first business birthday was marked by pledging the funds to sink a borewell in India, while more recently the business supported the inaugural Co-forest carbon offsetting initiative by planting 50sqm of trees at the site on the outskirts of Bristol.

“Now is the right time to evolve the business and build on the foundations laid during the pandemic,” says Veal. “Establishing a consultancy during such surreal times will always be a big part of my story – I’m very proud of what’s been achieved against the odds – but now the ambition is to take the business forward with clear intent and investment and really commit to delivering on our mission of helping good people do good through meaningful comms support.”

“Second Mountain’s new home at the Glove Factory is the perfect fit for a business that is just as focused on promoting real work/life balance as it is on delivering impact for clients. The pandemic showed the immense value that green spaces can play in our collective wellbeing and productivity; ready access to nature is pivotal to providing me with the energy I need to deliver as a trusted and ethical PR professional.”

The Wiltshire-based consultancy provides its clients with a full, integrated service in partnership with key creative partners: from PR and strategic copywriting to media training, brand consultancy, photography and UX design.

http://www.secondmountaincomms.co.uk

The last few remaining workspaces are available in the renovated heritage tannery. Recently restored with sustainable urban design and professional fit-out, these final few renovated studios are for teams of 3 – 10 and are available with limited early bird deals.

These studios really are worth a viewing if you’re looking for a space that will inspire and excite while providing all the benefits of a fantastic rural location.

Ultrafast connectivity comes as standard and all studios include access to parkland, lakes, courtyards, meeting rooms and breakout space, including the members’ only Club Room.

And not forgetting our onsite cafe Wild Herb at The Field Kitchen with breakfast and lunches to keep you fuelled for any kind of day!

Get in touch by email if you’d like to find out more or arrange a viewing. Or call us on 01225 784080.

Glove Dippers’ annual season starts on 1st May 2022 at the private wild swimming lake behind Glove Factory Studios.

If you’re an experienced open-water swimmer located in the Bath/West Wiltshire region, why not come and join us? Set in a peaceful rural location on the edge of Holt Village, this small freshwater lake is a safe all-year round swim spot. For keen winter swimmers especially it offers a refuge when the rivers are in flood.

Glove Dippers provides a welcoming and supportive community that enjoys all the mental and physical benefits of wild swimming. Members stay for the great conversations, guaranteed laughs, regular charity swims and lots of cake!

There’ll be social events for members at various points during the year, including talks on winter swimming as we head into the chilly seasons.

Membership runs from 1st May 2022 to 30th April 2023. Head over to the Glove Dippers website to find out more details and become part of the Glove Dippers swimming community.

If you’ve visited Glove Factory Studios in recent months, you may have spotted that we have been busy renovating the adjacent heritage tannery to create additional new workspaces.

As you’d expect, we’ve restored these industrial buildings with the same sustainable urban design and professional fit-out. And now we’re ready to launch the first spaces!

Twenty bright new studios will be available from January 2022. Set over three floors, the workspaces are sized to suit small businesses with teams of 2 – 10 people. All include access to parkland, lakes, courtyards, meeting rooms, a members-only Club Room and Wild Herb at The Field Kitchen. Services include ultrafast internet, free private car parking and a managed reception open from 9am to 6pm.

Whether you’re looking to relocate from the city, find that first office for your growing business, or move to a work hub that offers a friendly creative business community, our new studios are a good place to start.

And we’re only 9 miles from Bath and 10 minutes from Bradford on Avon, so you’ll also have easy access to mainline trains and the M4.

With limited early bird deals available, now is the time to book your viewing and find out more.

Studio member Content Coms proves, yet again, that small can be mighty with the publication of its Anti-Greenwash Playbook.

Led by founder Joanna Watchman, the company is a testament to its mission to tell stories that make the commercial case for sustainability. And 2021 has been no exception.

In November, Content Coms launched its Anti-Greenwash Playbook, in their words, “essential reading for anyone who cares about truth-telling”.

The guide explains how companies can be authentic, transparent and open in their communications with stakeholders. The Anti-Greenwash Playbook quickly caught the attention of regenerative thinkers and doers at Cop 26 in Glasgow and has become a global success.

Content Coms is also one of the very few UK agencies signed up to the Creative Climate Disclosure Declaration, which urges creative industries to take responsibility for their role in solving climate change. Their 2020/21 Climate Disclosure and Social Value Report has just been published. It’s well worth a read.

But there’s more!

For their work with British Independent Utilities on its Energy Advice Hub, they have been shortlisted for Consumer Engagement/Marketing Campaign of the Year at edie – the UK’s largest sustainability awards.

And, finally, the Work in Mind initiative, a passion-led purpose project for the team, has been longlisted for the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products Awards.

We’re so proud to be home to Content Coms, a remarkable team whose achievements consistently belie its size.

Hats off to Joanna Watchman and the team!

We have workspaces available soon! Come and join a thriving work hub with all the benefits of rural working.

Choose from a ground floor workspace ideal for a small business of 1-2 people and opening onto a beautifully landscaped courtyard, or a bright first-floor studio for 2-4 people with a high ceiling and large windows.

Services include superfast internet, free private car parking, a managed reception open from 9am to 6pm and meeting rooms for hire. You’ll also find an onsite cafe, Wild Herb at The Field Kitchen, and the Club Room, our studio members breakout space.

Become part of a thriving creative business community that includes design agencies, sports tech and software brains, hospitality and events, filmmakers, architects, sports massage therapists, PR, media and marketing companies.

With the launch of an additional 40 plus workspaces at neighbouring Leather Factory in 2021/22, the campus here is growing, bringing further exciting opportunities for collaboration and an extended programme of business and social events for studio members.

Only 9 miles from Bath and 10 minutes from Bradford on Avon, Glove Factory Studios has easy access to mainline trains and the M4.

Quite a number of movers and shakers have joined Glove Factory Studios this year! In recent times, we’re delighted to have welcomed companies large and small, established and just starting, from across a whole range of sectors.

A walkabout reveals plenty of new branding on studio doors including a major local recruitment firm, a new independent mortgage broker, established quantity surveyors, a British furniture manufacturer, a tree consultancy, and a landscape consultancy.

They make for a lively bunch, and it’s always exciting to hear new voices and fresh ideas. Our newcomers are already making their mark among Glove Factory’s thriving, friendly business community.

Hello and welcome to all our new studio members:

White Horse (pictured)

Crescent Mortgages

Tree Source

South West Greenhouses

Peter Gunning & Partners

Ocee Design

Burton Reid Associates

If you see yourself here, please do get in touch about upcoming studio availability.

Come along and keep the kids entertained in the annual Holt Village Scarecrow Trail which will be taking place over the bank holiday weekend from Saturday 28 August through until Wednesday 1 September.

This year’s theme is music related and will feature scarecrows or cryptic clues depicting any singer, song or band. The Main Trail will feature 50 amazing scarecrows including, of course, entries from Glove Factory Studios and Wild Herb at The Field Kitchen. (And what better excuse for a quick refuelling while you’re sussing out our scarecrows!). There are also 20 Children’s Trail clues for younger adventurers.

This promises to be lots of family fun and there are prizes to be won!

Trail booklets will be on sale from Saturday 21st August at Holt Superstore, BA14 6QH. All monies raised at this year’s scarecrow trail will be donated to Holt Pre-School.

We can’t wait to welcome you back to Glove Factory Studios on Weds 16th June for the launch of Wild Herb at The Field Kitchen.

Wild Herb is the new culinary venture from Sian and James Scott, owners of the award-winning Mes Amis Cafe Deli in Beckington Village.

“We are delighted to be joining Glove Factory Studios under our new Wild Herb umbrella.
It is a fabulous location, and we look forward to sharing our passion for food and hospitality with you!”
– Sian & James

What can you expect? A new location for the cafe overlooking the fields and lakes, a simple menu, speedily delivered, and, of course, delicious coffee, cakes and tasty light meals.

There will be a focus on deli-style lunches – think seasonal, healthy, colourful and, most importantly, flavour-packed salads, alongside hot and cold lunch specialities. Perhaps enjoyed with a glass of wine on a sunny afternoon!

You’ll find the new cafe servery and outdoor seating area on the gravel terrace overlooking the field. All food will be served in recyclable takeaway containers, so you’ll be able to sit and enjoy the view, or simply collect and go.

Do please come along, no booking required.

Opening times for June will be Weds to Fri, 9am to 4pm, with more days being added through July.

Wild Herb also offers catering for events and meetings at Glove Factory Studios and elsewhere – email the Wild Herb team for more information.

Congratulations to studio members Nick and Emmalou Hussey at FRAHM and the brilliant creative team at Supple Studio.

The packaging for FRAHM jackets has been recognised at this year’s D&AD Awards in two categories. A Wood Pencil for Writing for Design and shortlisted for Applied Print Graphics.

Reinforcing FRAHM’s ‘Tough Beautiful’ mantra, Supple Studios’ creative sees UK native beetles (nature’s very own tough and beautiful creatures), printed large scale onto FRAHM’s boxes and bags. You’ll certainly know when your jacket has arrived, although you might also need to revive the ashen-faced courier!

FRAHM also speak openly about mens’ mental health – with every jacket purchase supporting the charity Mind. The packaging tape carries the message ‘Open Up’ as an economical, playful way to remind recipients that their jacket purchase supports mental health.

Fantastic work all round!