One of the key remits of the Military Coworking Network (MCN) is to improve the wellbeing of its members.
We do this this in several ways:
By providing FREE online access to a variety of resource types, including events, top tips, and blogs across a wide range of important wellbeing topics.
By sharing meaningful insights on organisations that offer tailored wellbeing support, advice, and guidance to the Armed Forces Community.
And through our coworking hubs.
Impact of the Hubs
In this article, I specifically want to explore the impact of our coworking hubs on the mental health and wellbeing of the military spouses and partners who use them.
Our 2023 Evaluation Report sheds some very insightful light, which I’d like to share with you:
Improved wellbeing
60% of hub users confirmed that the hub had helped their mental wellbeing. They cited multiple aspects that had contributed to this, including having a trusted and safe space to go to (84%), being able to get out of the house more (84%), and knowing that support was on hand from people who shared their lived experience and got it and them (67%). They also included not feeling alone anymore due to the community aspect of the hubs (55%).
53% attributed their improved wellbeing to feeling seen, heard, listened to, and understood, whilst 37% felt they now had a better understanding of their own wellbeing needs and the need to take better care of themselves (33%).
And 39% felt they had regained their sense of identity through the hubs. So, rather than being known solely as the wife of ‘Colonel Mustard’ or the partner of ‘Captain Cook’ they were now individuals with careers and interests in their own right. 63% of hub users reported that the coworking hubs had had a positive effect on their families.
Personal growth
72% reported that the hub had opened up important communication channels and given them unique access to critical support, both in a professional and personal capacity, which had contributed to both their career success and personal growth.
50% felt they were more in control of their choices, and that being part of the hub network had boosted their confidence, especially in relation to business skills.
45% felt the hub had contributed to their financial independence by enabling them to have a career AND by giving them a cost-effective solution to work or run their business.
Better connected, more respected
Many military spouses and partners do not feel recognised by the military or the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that oversees and manages it, which affects their sense of self-worth and esteem, often leaving them feeling like second-rate citizens and undervalued.
However, through its support of the MCN and its Hub Network, the MoD has transformed that perception with 93% of all hub users stating that they now felt more recognised by the MoD, more valued and respected within the Armed Forces community overall, and, consequently, better connected to military life (83%).
This has resulted in significantly reducing the sense of isolation and loneliness (60%) often felt by many military spouses and partners.
Better work-life balance
91% reported that having access to a coworking hub had improved their work-life balance significantly, with 69% stating the hubs enabled them to leave work behind at the end of the day and achieve important separation from home life.
77% felt they could now have a career AND be a military spouse at the same time, which had a positive effect on their overall wellbeing as this meant they could both fulfil their personal needs and their duties and obligations as the partner of a serving person without any compromise, something they ranked very highly in their priority lists.
Networking and community
73% stated that they had more opportunities to meet new people through the hubs, both socially and professionally. Being able to physically meet people and talk to them face-to-face made it so much easier to connect and stay connected than in a virtual environment. 47% stated that they felt that meeting new people had improved their social skills, making it easier to build a network and establish meaningful friendships.
59% of hub members said they had been able to grow their professional network through the hubs, and 60% had made more friendships through the hubs, which had positively impacted their social lives and improved their quality of life on base. A whopping 68% reported that the hubs had enabled them to have a life outside of the military.
Finally, 37% made more connections on social media through the hubs, which not only helped them to grow their professional and social networks but also put them in good stead for their next posting, allowing them to connect in advance of arrival on a new and foreign base, thus reducing the mental stress of a relocation.
Conclusion
These statistics are empowering and impressive in equal measure, and deliver from a wellbeing perspective, a strong business case for joining the MCN hub network.
We should never underestimate the importance of our wellbeing, and the role it plays in creating a meaningful life. Protecting it should be of paramount importance.
This is especially true within the context of military life, which brings with it a host of other challenges, stresses, and complexities that are unique to this community.
We are not at war, but our Armed Forces remain constantly on alert, ready for action whenever and wherever it is needed.
We are reliant on our British Armed Forces for the protection and defence of our country but they are reliant on their family support networks to provide the support they need to do the job we expect from them.
So, maintaining the wellbeing of their spouses and partners is essential. Facilitating it is a duty of care.
The MCN plays a role in achieving this.
The numbers speak for themselves.
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