Businesses lament loss of greenhouse 'community'
BBCUsers of a government-funded centre for digital and creative start-ups have expressed disappointment about facility potentially closing or changing hands.
The States of Guernsey has opened expressions of interests for anyone who would like to take over the running of the Digital Greenhouse.
People who used the centre in St Peter Port said the news came as a shock, with some describing it as a "game-changer" and a place with a "great community".
Deputy Marc Laine, Vice-President of the Committee for Economic Development - which oversees the facility, said it was the right time for the private and voluntary sector to take it on.
Dicky Parmar, who started working out of the Digital Greenhouse recently, said it was an "incredible space in so many ways".
"Not only is it an office, it's also a cultural environment as well - it's a great community," Parmar said.
Upon hearing the facility was likely to close, he said he was "very disappointed".
Parmar said: "Whilst I appreciate the States have got to do something, they need to be a bit more wise and understand what this place provides and offers the greater Guernsey."
Egita Strauda, who works for a car rental firm, was one of many users who said it was a good space to network with like-minded individuals.
"When you work from home it can get a little bit lonely sometimes," Strauda said.
"It's nice to have a little bit of community and I think that's what this space does really well."
Melissa Jimenez, who works for youth service Apollo, said the news came as a shock, while her colleague Liam Doherty said he felt the Digital Greenhouse was one of the best things the States had done in recent years.
Doherty, who founded Apollo, said the service had been vital for the growth of his business.
"It's been crucial for what Apollo's become in terms of the formal support but also the informal networking," he added.
His colleague Jess Le Page agreed that it had been an important part of the company's growth.
Le Page said: "It is invaluable to so many people and it definitely is for us, it's been a game-changer."
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