The Africa Centre, London

The Africa Centre, which is based in Southwark, offers an inclusive space where African culture and diversity is celebrated. The charity’s premises at The Old Union Yard Arches would normally be a hub for cultural, social, educational, intellectual and entrepreneurial activity, but since lockdown these activities, which help fund the charity’s development, have come to a stop.

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Kentish Town City Farm, London

Nestled on land adjacent to the mainline railway tracks in the heart of Kentish Town is the UK’s longest-established city farm, Kentish Town City Farm (KTCF).

Founded in 1972, KTCF is a community charity that helps city dwellers to connect with the environment, animals and nature.

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TransFlash Gym, Manchester

Harry Pointon has offered one-on-one personal tuition at his gym, TransFlash in Trinity Row, Manchester for six years. The space under the arches gives, he says, “a private environment where there is just me and one client at a time in a 3,500 square foot gym.”

Because of the space he has available and the one-to-one service that he provides, Harry hoped he could open up quickly after the COVID-19 lockdown.

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Commando Temple, Deptford

Sheltered in three railway arches on Deptford’s Resolution Way is one of London’s most unique gyms.

Commando Temple was founded by former Royal Marines Commando, Rob Blair, who left the military in 2008 and started the business in 2013, building it from a one-to-one personal training service in the parks of London to a world-class training centre. The gym is stacked to the brim with specialist strength and conditioning equipment and staffed by an expert team of personal trainers, some of whom are also world-record holding athletes, strongman competitors and acrobats.

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Forest Road Brewing Co., London

Within two weeks of the lockdown, Forest Road Brewing Co. devised its own unique way to support the NHS – the ‘stay at home’ lager, with £1 donated for every bottle sold.

Working from its offices and tap room in a railway arch at 335 Westgate Street, South Hackney, the brewery was due to start its own production line at the start of March. They nervously watched the worldwide news about the coronavirus develop throughout February.

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Hiver Beers, London

Award-winning honey beer brewer, Hiver, has a mission to tell the story of bees and beekeepers through great quality beer. That ethos informs their approach to sourcing ingredients, brewing and marketing their honey beers and ensures that the business actively supports local beekeepers and the tiny pollinators they look after.

Hiver was founded by Hannah Rhodes in 2013, who ran a stall at Maltby Street market before setting up Hiver’s headquarters, or Hivequarters, with a taproom and shop in a railway arch on Stanworth Street on the famous Bermondsey Beer Mile. The company was named Independent Retailer of the Year at the Southwark Business Awards in 2019.

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All Brass and Woodwind, Leeds

If your 40-year old business in the Yorkshire cultural centre in Leeds has been based on keeping musical instruments in perfect condition, what do you do when all the ballet, concerts, festivals and even music exams are cancelled?

That was the challenge facing Dave Walker at All Brass and Woodwind in York Street. There was no easy option as he considered the future of his business – but having spent lockdown adjusting to the new normal he now has a completely renovated shop-front and has transformed his on-site music rehearsal space into a photographic studio.

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Manchester Union Brewery, Manchester

Leaving a successful distribution company with an £8 million annual turnover to run a brewery was a dream come true for Will Evans. The owner of the Manchester Union Brewery said: “The 16-year-old me always dreamed of having a brewery not a distribution business! I built that business up from scratch over six years. But it meant I couldn’t focus on brewing, so I quit, so I could focus. The brewery doesn’t make any money yet, it is only a year old. I’ve taken no salary and I have had a rough run because of the coronavirus but everyone is very excited about the potential.”

Manchester Union makes lager differently to other brewers. Will said: “Less than half a per cent brew beer the way we do it. We also pour differently, heightening the aroma, with a 7-minute pour.” The brewery has had excellent reviews for its beers, which sell in the top bars in Manchester and outsell household name brands where they are head-to-head.

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Blocfit, London

Having endured a rocky couple of years in which his business was evicted from the space it was subletting and he had to effectively start again, a global pandemic that hit the UK a month after he reopened was the last thing BlocFit owner Dave Culver needed. But with hard work, dedication and a helping hand from his new landlord, he’s optimistic that the business has turned a corner.

Dave said: “2019/20 has been a really traumatic business year. I was sub-letting a property on a gentleman’s agreement and when The Arch Company took over the railway arches, my landlord was asked to agree a new contract that recognised the sub-let agreement. Instead, he evicted me. I’d worked really hard to build up the business and establish BlocFit as a climbing brand and it was like the rug was just pulled out from beneath me.”

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