When we last visited Trafalgar House on Manchester Road, the building had just completed a £3 million transformation and was beginning to earn a reputation as one of Altrincham's most vibrant business communities. Nine months on, that reputation is well established – and a new wave of tenants is already making its mark.
The range of businesses now calling Trafalgar House home continues to grow. In recent months, three very different organisations have moved in: a mental health provider, a chiropractic and movement specialist, and a booking agency that works with some of the biggest names in rock and metal music.
What they share is a need for space that works - and the firm belief that they've found it.
We caught up with the new arrivals to find out more about their businesses - and what brought them here.
Harley Street Mental Health: ‘We’re proud to be here’
Dr Irfan Rafiq is a Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and the Medical Director of Harley Street Mental Health, a private mental health service that has grown dramatically over the past four years.
The practice covers conditions including ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety and PTSD, and while it began as a purely private offering, has recently secured two significant NHS contracts under the Right to Choose scheme.
"Our service has exploded," says Dr Rafiq. "We are on a big recruitment drive and we needed bigger premises to scale and grow the business." The organisation already has private clinics in Harley Street, Leeds and Hale, and needed a central hub to manage referrals and coordinate its satellite clinics. Trafalgar House, where the team arrived in November, now fills that role.
"We wanted something in the Manchester area," says Dr Rafiq. "This was a great location in terms of space and accessibility. Staff can drive in - we have a car park on-site - or use the tram and train."
He is also struck by the quality of the environment itself. "It's been described as a bit of a gem, and I agree. You don't realise how nice it is until you step inside. It's a very warm, welcoming, work-focused environment. And the pricing structure is very reasonable compared to other providers."
“It’s the kind of setting where teams can work effectively and feel proud to be based.”
With 20 doctors now working across the organisation's various sites, and ambitions to grow further, the flexibility and scalability of Trafalgar House made it an obvious fit.
The Function Lab: ‘It’s about helping people live better’
Kin Fai Ng - better known simply as Ray - has been part of the Altrincham health and wellbeing scene for over a decade. As a chiropractor, his focus has always extended beyond pain relief to the underlying mechanics of how the body moves and functions. His new venture, The Function Lab, reflects that philosophy.
"Most times people come to me because they're in pain," Ray explains. "What I do is look at their function - how they move and how their body behaves. Most issues are related to either a nerve, joint or muscle issue. It's about helping them move better so they can feel and live better."
The practice has been at Trafalgar House for just a few weeks, but Ray says it has already been well received, thanks in part to the building's growing reputation as a health hub.
Norwegian by birth, Ray came to the chiropractic profession through personal experience of back, neck and shoulder problems sustained through martial arts and repetitive work.
He studied in South Wales and worked in London and Sheffield before settling in the Manchester area when his partner took up a lecturing post at Manchester University.
For Ray, what distinguishes good practice is the relationship between practitioner and patient. "I always tell my patients: find someone you can trust and feel comfortable with. It's about listening to their story and building a timeline of why the pain started. We work together to change habits so they can help themselves." Being part of a community of complementary health businesses at Trafalgar House, he says, sits perfectly with that ethos.
Cobra Agency: ‘The vibe is good’
While Trafalgar House is definitely a health and wellbeing hub, there are a few surprises too.
A case in point is Cobra Agency, an Austria-headquartered booking agency representing rock, metal and alternative artists across the world.
Bruno Guenthers and Steven Moss are based out of the second-floor suites at Trafalgar House - with the UK arm of the business expanding, they decided the time had come to open a proper office.
"We book tours and secure festival slots across the world - everywhere apart from the United States,” Bruno explains.
The process involves close strategic collaboration with artists - particularly around new album cycles - planning tours, festival runs and the financial negotiations that go with them.
The Cobra roster includes major international names such as Slipknot and Behemoth, as well as rising acts including Blood Incantation, Bleed From Within and UK band Creeper.
The choice of Altrincham rather than Manchester city centre was, for Bruno and Steven, an easy one. Bruno lives in Timperley and Steven in Altrincham, and neither had any desire for a city centre commute. "I love Altrincham," says Bruno. "The building looked great, the vibe is good, and there is enough room."
It is a long way from the world of Slipknot to a chiropractic clinic. But variety is one of the factors making Trafalgar House such a vibrant place to work. As Michael de Massey, Managing Director of owners Selbourne Group, noted when the building's transformation was completed, the aim was always to create space for businesses of all kinds to flourish. Going by the newest arrivals, it is doing exactly that.
Businesses interested in joining the Trafalgar House community can contact Selbourne Group at selbournegroup.com or email office@selbournegroup.com.
