Our new office!
On 5th February, the Morecambe Bay Wills team moved into their new office. Bigger, brighter and better! Our new office in the beautiful historic Gatehouse at White Cross in Lancaster is larger than our old offices in another of the estate’s buildings. And much easier to find too!
As we get used to our wonderful new surroundings, I wanted to look back at where we’ve come from and the places we’ve used as base since I started this growing company.
The early days
When I first set up Morecambe Bay Wills I, like many other small businesses, was working from my home. I converted a room at my house and set to work – seeing clients in their homes and then coming back to my small desk and preparing documents.
I loved it, but as I became busier, I realised I needed a little more space. So, I asked a local joiner to come in and build me a bespoke oak desk and filing spaces in the room. That officially became my new office! And I loved it … the luxury 😊
And so did Minnie !!! 
I soon became too busy for just one person, so Paula, my sister, joined us in January 2020. And of course, she needed someone to work. So “my new office” became “our new office” … or to be more specific it actually became Paula’s office, and I was relegated to the other spare room!
Then Andrea and Jane joined us and started dropping files in and out of my house. We had stationery all over and then we needed more administrative support. So, my niece Georgia came to help, and I was soon turned out of my “other” spare room too! It quickly became obvious that my home was no longer my home and that our new office was not sufficient for our growth.
Our first real office
In April 2022, we moved into our first real space. Our new office was in the heart of Lancaster, in the fabulous White Cross Business Park. We were thrilled with our new home in Cameron House! An open space with a room for our team to spread out and, for the first time, room to see clients there.
We got our keys and spent the weekend building furniture together. Friends and family came along to help and soon we were in! And what a difference it made. We had room for all the things we needed to be efficient and a place for everything. Most importantly, our clients loved the warm and friendly atmosphere we had created.
When Sue joined us a year later, she took the only spare desk in our new office and we knew it wouldn’t be long before we were itching to move again.
I made the decision in late 2023 to purchase Kendal Wills and Lancaster Wills. That would mean we would be looking after around 1500 new clients. Which meant we knew we would increase the size of our team again. So, we started to think about what that meant in terms of space. And knew we had outgrown our home at Cameron House.
And we found a new place just a short distance away – in fact, still in White Cross but in the old buildings which were being refurbished. We agreed in October 2022 that we would move to offices which were half as big again. That would give us room for our Administration Team to have their own area, with our Estate Planners sitting separately. Room for everyone to be able to work more efficiently. but there was a LOT of work to do!
Our new office is our new home!
Our initial plan to move in early January was scuppered by the weather and a roof leak! We hastily replanned and moved into our new office on 5th February. Another weekend of removals and furniture assembly before that date – and we were ready to work by the end of the first day.
We have to thank:
- the team at White Cross who have refurbished our new home over the last months
- our communications partner Sand Communications who made sure there was a smooth transition of our phone and broadband systems (no down time!)
- the guys at TJ Gardening Services who helped us move in the winter days when there isn’t much gardening to do!
So, how do we like our new office?
We don’t! We love it! Particularly ….
- The space
- The light
- The period features
- The grand staircase we climb each day (Paula calls it “the Downton Abbey staircase)
- Our new neighbours (but we also miss our old ones!)
- The fact that we are literally above Reception – so much easier for clients to find us 😊
Hopefully we will be in our new place for quite some time.
Why not come and visit us. Chat in our client room, over a coffee and a biscuit. We have free parking right in the centre of town. We can’t wait to show you round!
You can find out more about our services by calling us on 01524 571032 or by completing our Information Request form.