Explore the findings from the NI Enterprise Barometer 2025 Survey.
Explore the findings from the NI Enterprise Barometer 2025 Survey.
Established in 1985, when 170 members of the local community raised £40,000 to purchase a former shirt factory and convert it into business units, Workspace was created in response to significant economic challenges facing the area at the time. Since then, the award-winning social enterprise has become one of Northern Ireland’s most successful examples of community-led economic development.
Workspace, which was named UK Social Enterprise of the Year in 2024, has been widely credited with helping to reduce local unemployment from levels of around 30% in the 1980s to approximately 2% today. Throughout its history, the organisation has supported hundreds of businesses to start and grow, delivered training and skills programmes to thousands of people, and created opportunities that have helped retain talent and attract new investment into the area.
The organisation marked its 40th anniversary in 2025 with the launch of Born Out of Necessity, a publication documenting Workspace’s journey, achievements and impact over the past four decades. The milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on a legacy that has extended far beyond business support alone.
Workspace has developed and delivered a wide range of initiatives including business incubation space, training programmes, employment services, a recruitment agency, an after-schools club, a home insulation company, an events company, a consultancy service and a local radio station. The organisation has also invested significantly in community infrastructure, including industrial developments, youth facilities, and the restoration of heritage buildings.
Today, Workspace continues to play a central role within the local community, providing support to organisations including STEPS Mental Health, Ballinascreen Men’s Shed, Glasgowbury Music Group, and Ballinascreen Historical Society. It also hosts regular community initiatives such as its Warm Welcome Wednesday programme.
The organisation’s impact remains significant. During its most recent reporting period, Workspace mentored 129 entrepreneurs, helped 975 households move out of fuel poverty, distributed £40,000 in grants to community groups, supported 163 people through food bank services and assisted 432 people into employment. Independent social value analysis found that every £1 invested in Workspace generated £4.09 in social and economic value.
For the remainder of 2026, Workspace is focused on continued innovation and development, including plans to launch a new Digital Enterprise Hub. The initiative will provide modern facilities, digital resources and enhanced support services designed to meet the evolving needs of entrepreneurs, businesses and communities in an increasingly digital economy.
Georgina Grieve, Chief Executive of Workspace, said: “Our focus is always looking forward, and we know that there are many things that we need to do. We are blessed in Draperstown with great volunteers and groups who are making such a positive impact on people’s lives and as a social enterprise we are determined to provide all the support to them that we can.
“When Workspace started out, it was very much about getting businesses up and running, and it is still a core part of our work, but now we are also much more community-focused. We have seen what can be achieved when we work together, whether it’s with local groups and clubs, the local council or with the Stormont government.”
Laurence O'Kane, Chair, Workspace, added: “When Workspace was set up back in 1985, I don’t think anyone could have foreseen the huge changes and the progress that have been made here in a rural place like Draperstown and the wider Ballinascreen parish.
“This is now a prosperous place. We have great facilities for our young people, for the schools and for the community; we have some really strong businesses which are providing hundreds of jobs. From a time when we had serious emigration, we now have people coming to live and work here, which is fantastic.
“Yet there is still a big need for a social enterprise like Workspace and similar organisations across the north. At a local level, we have seen the alarming rise in cases of poor mental health, there are still concerns over isolation and of course our health service.
“We have set up a food bank which is helping families who are struggling, sometimes both partners may have jobs but can’t make ends meet. From an economic point of view, Draperstown has seen quite a few traders close over recent years due to online shopping, and this has left a lot of empty buildings in the town. There are still problems which Workspace is proactively working to address in partnership with partner agencies and some excellent local charities like STEPS Mental Health.”
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