Ffos Caerffili is a fantastic urban market made up of repurposed shipping containers. It’s located next to the stunning Caerphilly Castle and adds a real independent and artisan vibe to the town. The market also includes a variety of food and coffee offerings, attracting both locals and visitors.
Upskilling start-ups and small businesses
As part of our pop-up space project in Caerphilly, Urban Foundry has been working with Caerphilly County Borough Council to deliver a series of upskilling workshops throughout March, aimed at start-ups, small businesses, and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Workshops have covered a wide range of topics including funding basics, TikTok for businesses, food safety, writing a marketing plan, and building a budget. These sessions have been hosted in one of the market’s repurposed shipping containers, creating a creative and inspiring learning environment.
Positive impact on the local community
The impact of these sessions has been fantastic, offering local entrepreneurs valuable skills that will eventually make a difference in the local economy. It is helping to nurture and support local talent and encourage business growth in Caerphilly.
It has also attracted a new audience to Ffos Caerffili and highlighted how the market’s units can be used for more than just retail.
Transforming the local business landscape
This project follows the success of similar pop-up spaces in Bargoed and other parts of Caerphilly, which have revitalised areas and provided new opportunities for start-ups. The flexible spaces have allowed businesses to test their ideas without the high costs usually associated with setting up a physical presence.
Tara Tarapetian, Director, Urban Foundry:
“We’ve been working in Caerphilly for a while and had big success with our pop-up space on High Street in Bargoed. We’ve loved working at Ffos Caerffili – everyone who has visited one of our workshops has loved the market. And the workshops have been very well received. It’s a win-win on so many levels. Urban Foundry are experts in meanwhile spaces and, for us, it’s about the quality of what we do – we never think ‘that will do.’ We put time into how the space will look, work, and the impact it will have. Good design and atmosphere of the spaces are key to building confidence in local businesses. A well-designed and professional space inspires creativity and helps businesses grow.”
Jo Hillier-Raikes, Town Centre Manager at Caerphilly County Borough Council:
“Working with Urban Foundry has been transformative to some of Caerphilly’s empty spaces. We have always sought practical, doable, and immediate solutions to challenges in our town centres. It’s progressive, and we’re already seeing results from the businesses and people who have used one of the spaces or have taken part in a workshop. All this activity across the county will leave a legacy, and I’m very pleased to have so much positive feedback about the initiative from both the community and local businesses.”
Feedback from workshop attendees has been overwhelmingly positive:
“The session was great, and it really made me reflect on our plans re: marketing Cynefin. I’m looking forward to next week’s session – hopefully another big step toward overcoming my fear of posting on social media!”
Ceri Davies, Bomper Studio
“I found today really informative and feel much more confident and focused on what I need to do (or at least try!).”
Emma Sedgmoor, EJS Reiki Therapy
“Just to say thank you so much for the workshop today and for answering everyone’s questions, including those relating to ToyBox Project and Create Caerphilly. The workshop was perfectly crafted and gave excellent direction and guidance. I look forward to attending more workshops in the near future.”*
James Morgan, ToyBox Project
Find out more
To chat to us about pop-up spaces, please email: ideas@urbanfoundry.co.uk
This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will contribute to long-term regeneration efforts in Caerphilly.
