The National Hub Summit and a new strategy for hubs
Every year, the National Hub Summit brings hub managers from every county into one room, alongside state agencies, government departments, and representative bodies. This year over 200 delegates gathered at the Shearwater Hotel in Ballinasloe on 22 October, marking five years of the Connected Hubs network.
It was also the moment the new National Hubs Strategy was announced. We are proud that Grow Remote is a contributor to this strategy, recognising the role local communities of remote workers play in helping hubs thrive.
For us, that recognition reflects something we see every day. Remote work gives people secure income and more time in the places they call home, and hubs are where so much of that time turns into local connection.
We arrived with a giant map of Ireland, a box of pins, a lot of wool and one question for everyone we met: where’s your hub?
The night before: a Grow Remote Social in Ballinasloe
We kicked things off on Wednesday 21 October with a Grow Remote Social at Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre, in partnership with Connected Hubs and the National Hub Summit. Lyn Donnelly and her team welcomed us warmly and made sure everyone was well fed.
In their words: Andrew and Elma
The heart of the evening belonged to two of our hub partners: Andrew Whitaker from Culture Co-working and Elma Connolly from Ludgate. They shared what working with Grow Remote has meant for their hubs.
Both spoke about the sheer variety our partnership has brought through their doors. From after-work socials to group activities to a monthly lunch and sea swim at Ludgate, there’s always something new getting people into the hub and talking to each other.
What stood out most was how they described the partnership itself. It isn’t about one big event. It’s about working together, month after month, to build community through two simple things: consistency and connection.
It has been great to work with Grow Remote, their professionalism and event experience makes such a difference and it also shows existing members the community side to the hub.
Andrew Whitaker, Culture Co-working
“We have been so grateful for the Grow Remote events, each event brings someone new into the hub. This year we had EU Coworking day which brought 15 new people into the hub before, who turned into users of the space”
Elma, Ludgate
Connecting People
It would not be a Grow Remote event without a simple icebreaker people would not forget, so out came the skein of wool.
The idea was simple. Groups of eight to ten gathered, each with a Grow Remote team member or Local Leader. One person held the end of the wool and shared something they needed help with. Someone who could help raised their hand, caught the ball, and shared their own request.
Within minutes, the room changed as the wool was passed around. People who had been wary were soon laughing, passing the ball and jumping in with offers of help. By the end, every person was holding a thread, and a web of connections stretched across each circle.
It was a perfect picture of what a hub can be when the people inside it are connected.
Do you run a hub and want events like this for your community? Get in touch at community@growremote.ie.
The difference community makes
Evenings like this aren’t one-offs. They are what our communities do all year round, and we have seen the difference they make for hubs.
At one brand-new hub, two social events welcomed 36 people, found a local volunteer to keep things going, and introduced the hub to people who now use the space. At Ludgate, a monthly lunch and sea swim has become a fixture, and some regulars have gone on to become hub members. Across the country, Grow Remote communities ran 69 events for 452 remote workers in the first three months of 2026 alone. Read our Q1 community round-up here.
We also ask everyone who comes to a Grow Remote event how it felt. Across 661 survey responses since late 2023, 96% agreed they met interesting people and had fun, and 79% said they feel more connected to their local community.
On the day: a map that came alive
On Thursday, the map came with us to the Summit expo. It was already dotted with blue pins marking Grow Remote communities, plus hubs that have collaborated with us this year were pinned using blue wool connecting to their event the night before, and we invited every hub manager who would like to run events with us to pin themselves and use orange wool to represent the new link.
The invitation was simple: pin your hub, then run a thread of wool to the event you’d love to see for your hub users.
- After Work Social: relaxed, regular meetups where remote workers get to know people in their local community.
- Group Activity: doing something together, from a coastal walk to a sea swim.
- Community Contribution: remote workers giving their time and skills back to the place they live.
As the day went on, threads stretched from hubs in every corner of Ireland; new connections and relationships were formed. One thing was evident: hub managers want to do this but need help to build their community.
We shared our Community Fund, which helps hubs and Local Leaders turn ideas into real events. Building community is a journey of trial and error, not a one-size-fits-all formula, and Grow Remote will support hubs every step of the way.
Partnership was also the theme of our Silent Stage session, Power of Partnerships. Andrew and Katy shared what partnering with Grow Remote has looked like in practice, and their best advice for any hub manager ready to start a partnership of their own.
How we can support your hub
No hub builds community alone. It takes hub managers, hub users, Local Leaders and the wider local community, all showing up for the place they live and work. That’s citizenship in action, and it’s where we come in.
If you manage a hub, we can:
- Partner your hub with a local Grow Remote community
- Help you find and support Local Leaders among your hub users
- Co-host events that bring your space to life
If you work from a hub, we can:
- Connect you with your nearest Grow Remote community, or help you start one
- Support you to become a Local Leader and run events your community will love
- Help you access our Community Fund to get your ideas off the ground
Whether you’re a hub manager or a hub user, we’d love to hear from you at Community@growremote.ie. You can also find your local Grow Remote community. Let’s build something together.
A heartfelt thank you to Lyn Donnelly and Ballinasloe Enterprise Hub, Connected Hubs, the Western Development Commission, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, our speakers Andrew, Elma and Katy, the Local Leaders who joined us, and every hub manager who picked up a pin.
The post Grow Remote at the National Hub Summit 2026: Connection, Strategy, and Partnerships appeared first on Grow Remote.
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