Looking back, moving forward here at Gather Round.

You know that feeling when you look back at a year and think, “Wait, did we really do all that?”

Yeah. That’s us right now.

2025 has been a tough year for anyone in the creative industries. Budgets are tighter, deadlines are relentless, and every day seems to throw a new challenge your way.

But even in a year like this, there’s so much to celebrate. From launching Trinity to seeing our community grow in ways that still make us a bit emotional, it’s been a wild, rewarding ride. So grab a coffee (or a mulled wine – it’s December after all), and let’s walk through the highlights… plus a few exciting things we have planned for 2026.

We Opened Trinity in Bath

This was the big one. Our third space. And what a space it is.

Only nine months ago, we officially launched Trinity in Bath – a stunning Victorian Gothic building that was once an old church. And, oh, did it come with character! Pigeons, a leaky roof, endless debates over how to keep the space warm… so many teething problems that all you can do is laugh, but we are resolving them!

The launch breakfast was perfect – pastries from Landrace, coffee flowing, and the chance for everyone to explore the space properly. Then we threw a proper launch party, because, well, you can’t open a new creative hub without a celebration. Drinks all round, good people, great vibes.

Within four weeks, we had over 100 members sign up. The community there has built itself so quickly – it’s been amazing to watch. Many of our members have already been making the trip between spaces, which is exactly what we hoped would happen.

Gather Round Presents Kept Going Strong

Our award winning event series has become one of our favourite things we do, and this year it just kept getting better. With the free pizza provided by Bosco & Pizzucci (legends!) and fully stocked bar at every event, we now have prize giveaways which go down an absolute treat!

We hosted some brilliant sessions, including Building Creative Resilience round two, over at Trinity. The turnout was incredible and the conversations afterwards, even better – real talk about the ups and downs, the imposter syndrome, the bits nobody puts on Instagram.

Your feedback on these events has been so positive, we originally launched this series as 5 events to celebrate our 5th Birthday, but for 2026, they will continue, for the 3rd year running.

Our Summer Party Brought Everyone Together

In July, we took over Left Handed Giant in Bristol for the day and brought all three communities together – Brunswick Square, Cigar Factory and Trinity – for one big summer celebration.

Beer, incredible cheese toasties (honestly, they were so good), and proper summer vibes. Members from all our spaces finally meeting face-to-face, connecting over cold drinks in the sun, swapping stories and ideas.

Seeing familiar faces from different spaces and watching new connections form – that’s exactly why we do this.

Member Collaborations We Love

This year, we’ve watched so many brilliant collaborations happen between members, and we have to shout out The British Blanket Company in particular.

They celebrated their 10th anniversary this year, and we’ve loved watching them grow their team and also work with other members. Fiona Day and Remi Bumstead both collaborated with them on gorgeous projects – Remi created stunning video content for their advertising campaign, while Fiona is their social media content queen!

It’s exactly what we hope happens when you put creative people in the same space. Good things grow and we are seeing member collabs happen every week!

Members only Events

This year brought two standout moments for our community. First, we teamed up with Fiona Day (Howdy Socials) and she brought the Howdy Social Club to Brunswick. A monthly meet, free to all members, exploring what truly makes content feel personal, human, and engaging. By the end, we walked away with fresh prompts and posts that finally sounded like us again, not the familiar monotone LinkedIn bot everyone’s ready to retire.

We also welcomed leadership coach Kate Southerby back to Trinity, where she now joins us every month. As always, she came poised to help untangle our dilemmas and offer clear, practical guidance. The session filled up fast, with a few lucky last-minute sign-ups rounding out what turned into a fantastic start to the season.

Beyond the bigger events, it’s been the regular member meetups that have really cemented the community feel across all our spaces. We know how much you value these more casual hangouts. From monthly breakfasts with delicious pastries to Christmas tree decorating fueled by hot chocolate, and plenty more new member events planned for 2026, these casual hangouts are at the heart of what makes our community so special.

Something New: End of Month Drinks are Back (But Different)

Going into 2026 we wanted to make sure our members were getting the best out of our spaces, and the amazing communities within them. So, we’re bringing back End of Month drinks but levelled up. Our brand new Community Sessions will be the perfect way for everyone to get to know their fellow members and unwind together at the end of the month. Think BYO wine and cheese nights, drink and draw sessions, board games. And of course, we’ll still be taking our lovely members to the pub every now and then.

The Team Grew

We couldn’t do any of this without the right people, and this year the Gather Round team got even stronger.

Ellie, Kristele and Naomi joined us, bringing their energy and ideas to the mix. And Megs came back from mat leave! Having familiar faces return just proves we must be doing something right.

Introducing: Member Mic

This one came directly from member feedback, and we’re really excited about it. Member Mic is a new space for our member to share, present, or launch whatever they’re passionate about.

Want to run a mini workshop? Demo a project you’ve been working on? Share insights about your business or creative process? This is the platform to try it out.

It’s designed to be informal, interactive, and completely member-driven.

What It All Means

Looking back, 2025 wasn’t just about opening a new space or winning awards or throwing good parties (though we did all of those things).

It was about watching this community – your community – grow into something really special. It’s the everyday moments that matter most: the collaborations that spark over coffee, the advice shared between members, the way you show up for each other.

Our members have made Gather Round what it is. Not us. You.

Here’s to 2026

We’ve got plans brewing. Member Mic. New events. Maybe a few surprises we’re not ready to announce yet. 😉

But mostly we’re just excited to keep building this thing with you. To keep creating spaces where you can do your best work, surrounded by people who get it.

Thank you for being here. For showing up. For being the kind of community that makes us excited to come to work every day.

Let’s make 2026 even better.