Cheltenham Open Data Adds a Curated List of Third Spaces
A curated list of third spaces in Cheltenham, from community cafés and council hubs to co-working spaces.
Cheltenham Open Data has added a curated list of local third spaces to the site.
A third space is somewhere that is neither home (your first space) nor work (your second space). It is the sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s term for the informal public places where community life happens: cafés, libraries, community centres, hubs and drop-ins where you can gather, relax, work or simply be around other people without needing an appointment or a reason.
These places matter more than ever. As more of daily life moves online, the ordinary chances to bump into a neighbour or strike up a conversation have thinned out. The years after the pandemic left many people more isolated and more used to staying in, and loneliness has become a genuine public health concern. Third spaces are a practical answer to that: they give people somewhere to go, something to do, and someone to see, at little or no cost. For anyone working remotely they also offer a change of scene and a bit of company that a home desk cannot.
Each entry includes an address with a map link and a website where you can check opening times and events, which can change.
If you run a local third space in Cheltenham and would like to be included, you can contact us with your details.