Amanda Perry posted about a frustrating day at a coworking space where noise, eating at desks, and no quiet alternatives made it nearly unusable, pointing out that around 55% of business owners identify as neurodivergent.

It hit a nerve, sparking 170+ comments. Commenters including Danielle Wallington of flockhere, Stephen Phillips of Neighbors & Nomads, and Paul Nellist of Koba noted that simple zoning (quiet rooms, call booths, social areas) already works where it’s being done intentionally. BUT a lot of other commenters also shared that they found similarly frustrating setups (or lack thereof) at their local hubs.

Manchester’s Koba (led by Paul Nellist) becomes the first flexible workspace to become WELL Coworking Rated.

ICYMI: this is a new rating led by Incendium/Instant and the WELL Building Institute. We chatted with Sam Pickering and Olivia Chatten about this here.

Paul Nellist shared Koba‘s partnership with IntoUniversity to run a programme that will see the coworking space’s members supporting a cohort of young people "through a wide range of activities including mentoring, internships and open days", and includes free-access to the space, and a financial contribution from the sustainability-first flex space firm to the local charity.