The Rebel School is on a mission to enable anyone to have access to a better life. It doesn't matter if it's financial, starting a business, digital skills, coaching, or focusing on your wellbeing, Rebel can help you get to the next level.
Rebel has worked with Westminster Council since 2018 to bring premium education to the borough completely for free. This year, we're creating an exciting new community space for local small businesses, open to anyone, at formerly disused 470 Harrow Rd.
The Rebel Building will be a space for any resident to start and grow their own business. A space supporting shared wellbeing, continual learning and creative thinking. All free in exchange for mentoring others.
If you're a Westminster young person, small business owner, local resident - we hope you'll join us and become part of an inspiring, inclusive and supportive Rebel community. Rebel seeks to create boundless opportunity for all and we can't wait to get started at 470 Harrow Rd.
What we'll deliver:
- Free Rebel courses for Westminster residents: starting a business, personal finance, digital/social media skills & more
- Church Street market creative enterprise development programme, working with local young people to become market traders
- Desk space for small businesses - free in exchange for mentoring others
- Desk space for small businesses - affordable rates for those who'd rather pay
- Free digital connectivity (WiFi) to provide access to online opportunities for all
- Digital skills peer support - helping anyone who wants to build or boost their business using digital technology
- Community wellbeing garden
- Community 'bring-and-take' library with a focus on self-development/lifelong learning - space for peer-led book clubs
- Space for small businesses such as yoga teachers or craft workshops to try out their activities with the local community
- Furnish and equip the building to support our activities, and enable corporate event hire to create a sustainable income
Why it's a great idea:
The Rebel School began in 2011, after visiting a government-funded business start-up service almost put our founder Alan off starting a business.
We discovered that in order to find, inspire and truly help people start businesses from all backgrounds, you need a completely different approach from traditional start-up loans and business plans.
Rebel's free, highly practical, confidence-building courses have trained over 6500 people in the UK. Our mission is to make business achievable for everyone.
Working in Westminster since 2018, we see a need for a new, genuinely affordable space where an inclusive community of diverse small businesses can start, thrive, get online and support one another.
The Rebel Building offers more than co-working. Want to test out your craft workshops with local residents? Share your hard-won Etsy sales expertise with those getting started? Grow your network of local Black business partners? It's the community's own space to create opportunity together.
Steps to get it done:
- Sep 2022 - Finalise interior design plans, select furniture & decorations
- 3rd Oct 2022 - Church Street digital markets project begins
- Nov/Dec 2022 - Community launch and fundraiser event at the Rebel Building
- 14th Nov 2022 - Rebel Business School Westminster course
- Nov/Dec 2022 - Order furniture, decorations, audiovisual equipment
- Nov/Dec 2022 - Book local painters & decorators
- Early to mid Jan 2023 - Fit-out
- 23rd Jan 2023 - Rebel Business School Westminster course
- Mid to late Jan 2023 - first businesses start to move in
- 20th Mar 2023 - Rebel Business School Westminster course
- 23rd Mar 2023 - Opening celebration party!
- Feb/Mar 2023 onward (subject to overfunding) - commission and create murals and artworks from local artists & Rebels
- Spring-Winter 2023 - grow the community, build links with local neighbours, host more community events and courses
The Rebel Building will be run by Rebel's community interest company, Extraordinary Life CIC, on a not-for-profit basis.
