Tempeo, the Northampton-based recruitment business, is changing not only recruitment but also how local businesses connect with the community. Known for bringing fairer margins and fairer outcomes to the construction, warehousing and permanent recruitment markets, Tempeo is proud to partner with Northampton Town Football Club to launch the Tempeo Community Lounge, a space created not just for hospitality but for belonging.
For co-founders Johnathon Dowling and Michael Berkshire, both born and raised in Northampton, the Lounge is about more than football. It is about giving back to the town that shaped them and using business as a bridge to support those who need it most.
The idea grew from seeing the fantastic charity work already being carried out by Northampton Town Football Club and asking what more could be done. Without taking away from the brilliant initiatives already in place, Tempeo wanted to add something different. Something that could only come from a business deeply rooted in its community.
The Tempeo Community Lounge is the result. A space that not only opens its doors to those who might not usually experience a matchday, but also creates a new way of giving back. By bringing together local businesses and local charities inside the heart of the football club, it connects people in a way that goes far beyond traditional sponsorships or one-off fundraising events. This is about creating lasting partnerships, memorable experiences and a shared sense of belonging that can only happen when business and community come together.
The Tempeo Community Lounge will be run and supported by Tempeo, but its real strength lies in how it brings the wider business community into the heart of the club. On key matchdays, local businesses will have the opportunity to sponsor events in the Lounge, inviting Northampton charities and community groups as their guests.
In doing so, the Lounge becomes more than a hospitality space. It becomes a platform for connecting Northampton’s businesses with Northampton’s people, giving organisations the chance to give back directly and ensuring that those who might not normally experience a matchday can feel part of something special.
Johnathon Dowling, Co-owner of Tempeo, said: “At its roots, this is about belonging. Michael and I grew up in Northampton, and we have always felt a deep connection to our town and its people. We saw how brilliantly the club already supports charities and asked ourselves how we could add to that, how we could use Tempeo to give back. The Community Lounge is for anyone who might not
normally get the chance to enjoy a hospitality matchday. For ninety minutes, or a few hours, they can forget their troubles and feel part of something special. That is what football, and community, is really about.”
Michael Berkshire, Co-owner of Tempeo, added: “This is also about creating something lasting. We want the Community Lounge to be a space people look forward to, talk about for years, and pass on as a memory to their families. Success for us is not just about packed matchdays, it is about the stories: children experiencing their first Cobblers game, charities building stronger links with local businesses, and people from every background feeling welcome. The Lounge is a chance to bring businesses and communities together in a way that makes a real difference.”
By linking Northampton businesses with local charities, the Tempeo Community Lounge aims to become a cornerstone of community life, ensuring that everyone, regardless of background or circumstance, has the opportunity to be part of the matchday experience.
For more information about Tempeo, visit their website here.
