30/09/2026
We’re so thrilled to support Hollie with this.
Hoping it can be an amazing success.
A new venture is bringing coworking and childcare under one roof in Stroud, launching with a pop-up event on TUESDAY 6th October, 9:30am–12:30pm, at The Sanctuary, Brimscombe Mill. The inaugural event has already sold out.
All Work, No Childcare is the brainchild of local founder Hollie Benneyworth. Mum of two, Hollie, published a community research report this spring, surveying 100 parents across the Stroud district. The findings point to a clear gap in the local market. Despite 81% of respondents already having location flexibility in their work, average satisfaction with their current work setup sat at just 2.56 out of 5 — with 62% citing lack of childcare and 60% citing its cost among their top three working challenges.
Interest in a solution was equally striking: the survey recorded an average interest score of 4.38 out of 5 for a local coworking space with on-site childcare, with 85% rating their interest 4 or 5 out of 5, and 98% saying they'd use such a space. Flexible, hourly childcare (79%) and the ability to work close to their child (64%) topped the list of what would make the offer most valuable — well ahead of desk space alone. The strength of that demand is reflected in the pop-up itself, which sold out in under 48 hours..
“Our own research paints a vivid picture of a community of working parents who are capable, motivated and ready to work, but who are held back by a childcare system that doesn't fit with modern family life,” said Hollie, founder of All Work, No Childcare. “Stroud has an established culture of independent and cooperative enterprise, making the local conditions ideal for a home for work, enterprise and creativity with children woven into the centre of it.”
The 6th October pop-up at Brimscombe Mill will give parents in Stroud and the surrounding villages — including Nailsworth, Stonehouse and Gloucester — a first look at what the model could offer, from flexible drop-in childcare to a workspace and a sense of community with other working parents. Local service ELF Sitters will be onsite with a mobile creche service, ensuring children are cared for by professionals whilst their parents and carers can work comfortably nearby. A number of local enterprises have got on board to sponsor the event, including Stroud Motherhood Collective, Rebecca Benneyworth & co, Whitaker Seager, David Conlon Coaching, and The Food Gallery.
Stroud’s findings mirror a growing global trend. A report by the Better Life Lab at New America documented 115 coworking spaces worldwide that integrate childcare, describing the model as “greater than the sum of its parts”, providing not just working space but mutual aid networks, stronger caregiver-parent relationships, and meaningful community.
It also reflects a wider national picture: separate research among UK working parents by flexible workspace provider Work.Life found that 37% had changed jobs in search of greater flexibility, 93% relied on some form of childcare, and 30% had cut their working hours because of childcare costs. Nationally, childcare costs have also outstripped inflation for years — Coram Family and Childcare's 2026 survey found a part-time nursery place for a child under two rose from £55 a week in 2001 to £160 by spring 2024, with prices in Scotland and Wales still rising in 2026.
Given the strength of demand, All Work, No Childcare is inviting local parents, childcare practitioners, and potential partners — including landlords, employers and funders — to get involved ahead of a full launch.
For more information and to sign up to hear more, visit allworknochildcare.com
Quotes from Stroud parents:
“I work for myself and this would be such a game changer just to have other mums around. I would love just short sessions to get a little bit of work done here and there and just someone to hold my 8 month old every so often. Amazing idea and so on board.”
“I would be keen to come in the morning and get a lot of my laptop-based work done whilst my baby is being looked after and interacting with other babies. I would then spend the afternoon back home doing my work, knowing the bulk had been done earlier in the day.”
Event details:
Date: Monday 6 October 2026
Time: 9:30am – 12:30pm
Location: The Sanctuary, Brimscombe Mill, Stroud, Gloucestershire
Status: Sold out
