Stuff is happening! We’re on track for our Grand Opening on 6th October. Here’s how it looks right now:

There was a mysterious fake fireplace mortared onto the carpet, which was a lot of fun to remove:

There was also a sort of sheltered office room in one corner, which took a bit longer to knock out but it has freed up a lot of space:

We’ve got power and water and internet, there’s a comfy sofa and a little fridge, we’ve got first aid stuff and fire extinguishers, and the 3D printer is whirring away. There’s tables and shabby but comfy chairs. It’s actually a pretty respectable makerspace at the moment, short of a lick of paint.

Our first priority before we open is finding out if it’s possible to get some kind of lock system in place so that we can give inducted members key fobs. That way everyone can just let themselves in and out, without us volunteers having to be doorkeepers. This is by far the biggest set-up expense, and the grant doesn’t cover it because it’s limited to running costs rather than one-time purchases. We’re not even sure if the crowdfunding money will cover it. Once the locks are sorted we can start enrolling members.

After that, we want to get the kitchen and bathroom (both very tiny) sorted and more comfortable to use. Both were quite mouldy and badly furnished when we picked up the keys, and we’ve managed to clean the mould. Next we’re installing better sinks and worktops and a few shelves, hopefully this weekend or early next week. (Proper storage will probably have to come later, when we [hopefully] have more money.) Both are roughly usable, so they won’t cause a late opening or anything.

Which brings us to our wishlist:

• Money towards the lock system!
• A kettle
• A couple of little oil radiators on wheels
• 2 more tables
• A tall-but-shallow bookcase to display pay-what-you-feel fidgets and handmade items
• A coffee table
• Cutlery, especially teaspoons

We don’t need any more offers of chairs, sofas, fridges, noticeboards, rugs, mugs or tea towels. Various people have offered to longterm-loan us 3D printers, which is really generous, and we’ll definitely take advantage of those offers when the space is a bit more finished.

As for help from people:

• Do you know about installing electronic locks like you’d get on a hotel room door? If you think you’d be able to help us install this, we need you ASAP!
• We’ll need all hands on deck for painting sometime soon.
• None of us are experts in woodworking, so in due course we’ll need someone to help us check over the second-hand power tools we’ve already got, put together some guidelines/policies, and write up a wishlist.

It’s all really exciting, and we’re exhausted but eager to open as quickly as possible!