Remote workers across the Vale of Glamorgan are being invited to break free from their kitchen tables as part of the Cowork Local Festival, which will see pop-up workspaces open across the county borough.

The festival is part of an initiative by the Vale of Glamorgan Council and TownSq to encourage more people to work remotely from local spaces by offering some of the most attractive and scenic locations, for free.

The breathtaking workspaces available range from the medieval study of Fonmon Castle to the stunning National Trust venue of Dyffryn Gardens. Throughout May, individuals can go online to the coworklocal.co.uk platform, and search for their nearest workspace. The event is part of a larger project that hopes to gather and launch diverse spaces across the UK, so people can work closer to home, reducing the need for residents living in rural areas to commute. For local businesses or the self-employed, coworking is also a natural networking opportunity, and puts workers amongst individuals who may be going through, or have already overcome similar challenges, and can share advice and experience. CEO of TownSq, Gareth Jones said he was excited to be able to show the impact working locally can have in some of the regions most picturesque venues: "We're really hopeful that in the future the default option won't be to jump in the car for over an hour every day, but instead it'll be popping to work from a local space. Even if you only do this twice a week, the environmental benefit is enormous, not to mention the cost and time savings. "It's a real privilege to be able to work from some of the venues that have joined the Cowork Local festival, being able to work from a castle or go for long walks at lunch in botanical gardens or unspoilt countryside is such a treat. "Plenty of employers have committed to flexible working in the future, we invite them to engage with Cowork Local, share it with their teams and use this festival as an opportunity to gather feedback and views." Coworking Month is an initiative being delivered in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council and small business and coworking experts, TownSq. The project has received funding through the Vale of Glamorgan Council and the Wales Rural Development Programme, which is funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the Welsh Government. Cllr. Lis Burnett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration said their goal throughout the month was to build a new habit for people as they consider their style of working post-Covid. "We have all experienced very different lifestyles and work-lives to anything we have known before. The future will undoubtedly be shaped by our recent and ongoing experiences but now is the time to look creatively at how our future should be. Here in the Vale of Glamorgan, we are excited to work with TownSq and pioneer innovative opportunities for people to work closer to home." If you would like to work from one of the amazing spaces on offer, for free, you can go to www.coworklocal.co.uk or contact the team by email at [email protected] or call 02921 111 252.