I am Louise Turley – AKA The Jelly Lady.

As a single mum new to Devon, and with a startup freelance graphic design business to promote, I decided networking was the way forward.

However, it soon became apparent that traditional events didn’t tie in well with the logistics of having small children, so I decided to create my own. I settled on holding them in Sidmouth, which is near where I live, and I quickly discovered that I was not alone with my struggles.

From this, Jelly South West was born, offering support to small business owners, freelancers, and kitchen table startups.

The ethos of Jelly coworking events is that they are accessible to all, so the events are provided free of charge. Jelly events also differ from networking in that the aim is not just to find new clients or to sell yourself or your business, but to instead become part of a community. 

We offer free coworking events in local coworking venues and independent cafes, each of whom benefit from some extra business. The events run monthly and give people the chance to come along, drop in, drop out, and meet other like-minded individuals. There’s no catch and no entrance criteria – just a friendly, welcoming vibe and a supportive environment!

With so many employees now working from home, and with the Covid-inspired hybrid work practices looking set to stay, many people now benefit from some extra flexibility. But with this can come a sense of isolation and a feeling of missing the office banter and interaction with others.

Our Jelly events can help to fill that gap by offering:

• The opportunity to work from inspiring, exciting locations
• A local support network
• Like-minded individuals to collaborate with