The Bank Portglenone is an office space and community hub situated in a B1 listed building that used to house the Northern/Danske Bank, right on the main street of this village (population: just over 1000).
Portglenone may have missed your notice, but it’s known for the annual dance and music festival, Gig ‘n’ the Bann and Our Lady of Bethlehem Abbey. In the warmer months, Instagramers flock to the glorious perennial bluebell display in Portglenone Forest and newly established Sunflower Field Portglenone for snaps and even proposals!
Should you happen to be visiting Portglenone on a random day, it has a plethora of take-outs and cafes (my favourites include the stylish breakfasts and lunches at the new Blend and Brew or The Lab right next door to The Bank.
What Business Facilities Are Available at The Bank Portglenone?
- Wifi
- Seven modern, first floor business units/office space
- Open and airy conference/meeting room space with audio-visual and live-streaming equipment (£15 for first hour, then £10 per hour)
- Reception space
- Hotdesking (£10 per hour)
- Catering (extra cost)
- On-street parking is available immediately outside the building and all along both sides of the main street, but it fills up quickly
- Parking is also available in Portglenone Marina, though we’re not sure if it’s available all day
Here is some idea of how convenient The Bank Portglenone is, in terms of catchment areas:
- Ballymoney is 16 miles away (23 min)
- Antrim is 16 miles away (21 min)
- Magherafelt is 11 miles away (21 min)
- Ballymena is 9 miles away (17 min)
- Kilrea is 7 miles away (11 min)
- Rasharkin is 6 miles away (9 min)
Other Business Premises in Portglenone
PEG, in conjunction with its business partners, also owns other business properties and facilities in the area. See Projects for details.
Are Localised, Shared Spaces the Way to Go?
During the pandemic, coworking space operators and enthusiasts were talking about how now the tragic pandemic outcomes had made many of us rethink how we were living our lives, particularly with respect to the onorous commute that many had been used to for decades. One outcome of this was mooted to be the opening up of various, local shared office and coworking spaces in smaller provincial villages and towns – not simply the larger ones catering to the masses and regular, passing traffic in the cities and bigger towns.
Check out latest blog posts for details of new coworking communities and spaces in Northern Ireland.
Community Activities
In addition to being able to book the reception area, conference room, hotdesking room, or take private office space, this mixed use space is also used for other activities. There are several community groups, initiatives and activities are also run from the space or in partnership with other local organisations:
- Community Walks and days out
- Occasional webinars and online/offline Events
- Various other Groups are facilitated by PEG
The Bank also acts as the local drop-off point for those who want to support Hopeful Handbags, a charity dedicated to eliminating domestic abuse and violence.
The overall impression of the activities run by PEG, which is supported by many volunteers, is that they’re already deeply ingrained within the local community and have been working for many years to help improve the lives, enterprises, projects, activities and mental health of local people living in and around the local area. That gets our vote, every time.
Further Info
Follow PEG on Facebook or Twitter to find out more about their activities, including The Bank.
Read more about The Bank Portglenone and a report on the opening of the space from the Ballymena Times.
Find Out More About Coworking Spaces in Northern Ireland
If you’d like to find out what other coworking communities, spaces and shared offices are available in NI, check out our Coworking Spaces in Northern Ireland list. If we’ve missed a place, please let us know.
Photos of The Bank Portglenone supplied with permission by Portglenone Enterprise Group/The Bank
Cover photo by Brian Hamill on Unsplash
She is also a Partner at Sensei.ie, the parent business of the WabiSabi project, and Managing Editor at Aletheia.Travel.
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