Co-working brand Work.Life responds to summer childcare juggle

Co-working and office space provider Work.Life is supporting working parents this summer with the launch of a free on-site kids club. 

Created in collaboration with emotional wellbeing specialists The Happy Human Project and creative agency Defiant, the launch underlines the impossible challenge that summer childcare is to so many working parents. 

According to research from Coram, the average cost of covering a six week school break is in excess of £1,000 per child.

To recognise this challenge on Monday, 11th August Work.Life is transforming its event space at its Farringdon office into a play-led pop-up workshop called ‘dream.play.grow’. Designed by the Happy Human Project, the workshop aims to introduce children to emotional skills like confidence building and managing big feelings.

The initiative has been designed to both give parents the chance to bring their kids to work and get a proper day of work done.

Elliot Gold, CEO and Co-Founder of Work.Life commented: “At Work.Life, our mission is to make people’s work-lives happier, and for working parents, that happiness can be seriously tested over the summer holidays. As a parent myself, I know how challenging it can be to juggle work and childcare, so we wanted to trial something that genuinely supports our community. Partnering with The Happy Human Project felt like a perfect match - their focus on wellbeing and play aligns beautifully with our values, and we’re excited to offer something that supports both parents and children in our community.”

Charlotte Clark, Director at The Happy Human Project, added:  “Affordable childcare is a real challenge for many parents, and this initiative not only helps solve that problem, it also ensures children are gaining vital emotional regulation skills in a safe, supportive environment."

Charlotte founded The Happy Human Project with a clear mission to teach the emotional skills that often get missed. Things like: how to manage anxiety, how to build confidence, how to feel proud of who you are.

The pilot is not a one-off scheme, it will also be supported by discounted childcare offers for members via Work.Life’s partnerships with Koru Kids and Bubble Partnerships, which are part of the brand’s broader ambition to help its members thrive both in and out of work.

Will Poskett, Founder of Defiant, the creative agency behind the concept, added: “Supporting working parents should be standard, not standout. So we wanted to create something that proved Work.Life’s commitment to a happier work life. We’re proud to bring a bit of joy (and sanity) to working families this summer.”

The launch comes at the time of year in which for working parents the costs mount and up and the wheels fall off. Put simply, for all too many working parents, the summer holidays are the pinch point which quite literally squeeze them out of the workplace altogether.

As Jivan Navani, CEO at Built AI and Work.Life Fitzrovia member, explained: “It’s heartbreaking that the cost of childcare forces so many parents and guardians to choose between their careers and their kids. Seeing Jaidan take part in this project, I hope it sparks real conversations - and change - for working families like mine.”

At a time of year when all too many companies appear oblivious to the impossible juggle of school holidays, the campaign underlines the power of not only recognising consumers' lived experiences in the workplace, but stepping up to support them.