Team spirit drives return to offices at Jennings Monument Park

Jennings reports a return of tenants to serviced offices and a doubling of footfall to its on-site restaurant as a sense of normality returns to office life in Oxfordshire.

In one such example, Cadonix took on serviced offices at Hampden House in April 2020 and had been considering moving out, but a visit for the team into the office in Chalgrove changed their minds and they’re now staying.

Andrew Armstrong, co-founder of Cadonix, says: “I am really glad the full team will get to experience the fantastic environment the Jennings team has created at Monument Park. One of our considerations (especially post Covid) is lower density environments where our staff have access to personal space both at and away from their desks.”

Donna McKnight, Jennings’ Centre Manager, says of Cadonix’s perspective on Monument Park: 

“Teams need to work closely together to feel united, to feel bonded, to share ideas and to laugh in the same room. Andrew and his team didn’t have the chance to experience how lovely it can be to work from Hampden House when they first took the space and were close to terminating their contract. But they surprised us by bringing the team over to see what they think and guess what, they loved it.”

Monument Park has been a home for Oxfordshire businesses for 40 years and has been providing serviced offices for 20 years. The Jennings ethos of people and planet first has guided it through the pandemic, to provide fair options for existing and prospective tenants, including the introduction of ‘hot offices’ for part time office working and ‘hot desks’ for freelancers and solo operators. 

The two ‘hot offices’ introduced in June this year are now booked 50% of the week. The success and learning from this exercise means Jennings is also able to activate additional hot offices at short notice and in response to the needs of each business. 

There are also some serviced offices available from October suitable for teams of between 3 and 15 people.

Proof of a return to pre-pandemic levels is visible across the park and at the Picnic Hamper, the park’s on-site restaurant, customer footfall doubled in September compared to April this year. 

Paul Mabbutt, MD of Jennings, comments: “To feel a buzz around Monument Park again is very encouraging. To see people enjoying our green spaces, the outdoor gym and a freshly made lunch all reinforces the benefits of a positive workplace environment and just how good that can be for business and for individual wellbeing.”