A company owned by its neighbours
Brickfield Works (sample) trades like any local business. The difference is who owns it and where the money goes.
A warehouse that pays wages
We are a community interest company (sample), started in 2014 in an empty brick warehouse by the canal. Today the yard holds a canteen, a bike workshop, a print room and rooms for local groups.
We sell at fair prices and pay at least the real living wage. What is left over pays for the next paid traineeship, not for shareholders.
How we are run
Four rules in our articles (sample). They are why the yard can never be sold off for private profit.
Asset lock
The building and any profit belong to the community company. By law they can only be used for the benefit of Springfield.
Member owned
One member, one vote. Members elect the board each year and can stand for it themselves.
Real wages
Everyone is paid at least the local real living wage, trainees included, from the first day.
Open books
We publish our accounts every summer, split the same way as the receipt below.
The year on one receipt
Last year the canteen, the workshop, the print room and the rooms took in $432,000 (sample accounts). This is where every dollar went.
The traineeship fund is the surplus. Members vote on how it is spent at the annual meeting.
Brickfield Works (sample)
Community interest company
Year to 31 March 2026
Canteen sales212,400
Bike workshop96,800
Print room74,300
Room hire18,500
Grants for traineeships30,000
Total income$432,000
Where the $432,000 went
Wages, trainees and staff236,000
Food, parts, ink, paper98,500
Rent, power, insurance46,200
Traineeship fund51,300
Twelve traineeships finished this year (sample accounts).
The board
Elected by members at the annual meeting. Board members are volunteers and are not paid.
Ruth Adebayo
Chair, member since 2015 (sample)
Tom Lindgren
Treasurer (sample)
Priya Shah
Secretary (sample)
Marek Nowak
Former trainee, now workshop supervisor (sample)
Ellen Byrne
Local business member (sample)
Sam Okoye
General manager, staff seat (sample)
Own a share of the yard
One $25 share makes you a member with a vote. Buy it at the canteen till or send us a message.