When Meghan Wallace-McCombe started as an apprentice in Cumbria Travel’s Workington branch, in Dunmail Park shopping centre in 2018, the agency’s back office was a tiny space with bare white walls. Tasked with thinking of ideas to brighten the space, Meghan set to work and over the years she has transformed it – on a budget of just £50.
Now the staff room is one the team feels proud of, one they want to spend time in and one that benefits the team both socially and professionally. We asked Meghan for her budget-friendly tips, which could be used for transforming similar spaces.
1. Use social media for ideas
The centrepiece of Meghan’s redesign was a map of the world. The inspiration for it came, not from another travel agency, but from a picture of a room she saw on social media site Pinterest. She purchased a big world map, stuck photos of the team around it, then attached strings from each staff member to pins stuck in the destinations they had visited.
2. Make the most of your wall space
Next, Meghan made posters to go alongside the map each featuring a spotlight on destinations different staff members had visited. These include plenty of information that staff have discovered firsthand. Wallace-McCombe explains that this allows other members of staff to find out about the featured destinations quickly from trusted sources and, if they want more detail, they know exactly who to ask.
3. Show off your knowledge
Another section, headed up “Cumbria Travel’s Fabulous Fam Trips”, features posters with information about fam trips the team has been on. These also include write-ups on the trip the staff member took, who they went with, operators to use and excursions and hotels they would recommend.
4. Recognise your successes
On the same wall as the world map, Meghan created a display focused on the fundraising work the team has done for Cash For Kids, their chosen charity. It features photos of their work for Mission Christmas, bake sales and fun event photos. She says this is a real mood booster for staff to remember some of the great things they have done.
5. Celebrate the good times
Another wall features photos of the staff at social events, weddings and on nights out. Meghan explains that the team does a lot together outside of work so this is a great way to bring a smile to their faces and it’s also a great talking point when new team members join.
6. Make space for support
Meghan sourced posters about mental health and where to access support with useful contacts – these have their own area of wall space just above the sink and there are also extra leaflets on the table. It was important to have this readily available, she explains, and not just tucked away in a folder somewhere in case staff want to talk to someone outside of work.
7. Look on the bright side
Colour was an important part of the design. All the walls in the room were white so Meghan backed the destination posters on multicoloured paper, in keeping with Cumbria Travel’s rainbow-coloured branding. She says it has made the room feel positive and welcoming.
8. Keep furniture minimal
The room has just one table and three chairs, and this is intentional – having minimal furniture keeps the small space as practical as possible.
9. Update the space regularly
Whenever new staff members join the branch their picture is added to the wall. There is also some housekeeping to be done to ensure staff that leave are removed and, if existing staff go on new trips, new information is added. Meghan says these jobs can be a great way for apprentices to take on responsibility, get to know the team and develop their destination knowledge.
10. Don’t underestimate what you create
Cumbria Travel has a number of work experience staff in the store each year and Meghan says the room is useful for helping them learn more about destinations and get to know the staff they are working with for the week. It brings some personality in and gives them a reason to go and ask different staff members for help.
