Creative digital hub will bring 'exciting opportunities' for people and businesses in Bognor Regis

The Track, which has appointed two community managers, will be located within the recently-refurbished railway station and will support creative and digital start-ups, freelancers and entrepreneurs.

The hub will be operated by Town Square Spaces, which also manages hubs in North Wales and Oxfordshire.

Georgia Alston, who runs local ice cream business Pinks Parlour with her mum, Katy, and former travel journalist Bob Maddams, who also previously ran a community film school in Ethiopia, will be responsible for finding and supporting new members, sourcing and organising business mentors, arranging events and the general day-to-day running of the Hub.

Georgia said: “It’s been a real privilege to see my mother take an old beaten up ice cream van and turn it into the award-winning business it is now.

“It was exciting to help my family bring the business into the modern world and help them grow their network, and that’s something I will really be looking to help Bognor businesses with. That’s the beauty of co-working, they naturally foster collaboration which can only lead to new and exciting things.”

Bob has produced powerful dramas that addressed challenging issues such as human rights and HIV and aids.

Alongside his new role, he now runs a creative communications company, holding workshops and providing expert coaching.

Bob said: “Having worked in so many different places across the world I’m always amazed by what can be achieved when people come together to work and play.

"There is a wonderful sense of community in Bognor Regis, and after chatting with Gareth and the TownSq team, it’s evident that these hubs become so much more than a space for working.

"We’re really looking forward to growing a community of people who want to use enterprise to shape their lives, be that simply earning a living doing something they love, or growing a large business that will have a lasting impact on the local economy.”

Town Square Spaces CEO Gareth Jones said work on The Track is 'progressing well' two years after works began.

He added: "While COVID has paused plans for now, we’re still working and excitedly getting ready to open the doors later this year.

“Our goal is how you bring enthusiastic, motivated people in the high street to be part of the culture of the town. We’ve already met such an amazing community [and] Bob and Georgia are exceptional.

“We are really excited to be able to build this new community service that we think will serve freelances and entrepreneurs and help people who don’t know what their next step is.

“We’ve got about 20 to 30 people engaging with our online activities but we haven’t opened registration yet. We are sensitive to the crisis and can’t commit to when people can come into the spaces.”

With people across the country working from home during the pandemic, Gareth said many will be looking forward to returning to an office environment.

He said: "For a lot of people working from home, its great, but it can be a challenge to get focused if you’ve got family and other commitments around.

"A lot of people don’t have great broadband to do video calls. We all miss that camaraderie and being connected to the wider community, going for a pint after work.

"There’s the more professional side of being in a more productive environment and being inspired by the people you work around."

Gareth said that the digital hub will only be successful if 'everyone is 'bought into what we are trying to create'.

He added: "We say to leave cynicism at the door. When you bring people together, you can come up with some pretty amazing ideas and you get that momentum and its really exciting.

"At our last big event in Wrexham, there was about 80 social entrepreneurs interested working in the local community. They were coming up with ideas to tackle homelessness, integration with the Polish community, ideas for food festivals, how to decrease drug use in the town centre.

"We are really keen to engage people in what we are doing, we don’t have all the answers and ideas. Anyone who is interested can set up a chat with us."

Bob Lanzer, West Sussex County Council’s cabinet member for the economy, said The Track will bring 'exciting opportunities' for local people and businesses to 'learn and grow with like-minded individuals'.

He said: "It is great news that the new community managers, Georgia and Bob, already have an understanding of the community and the surrounding area and this will hold them in good stead to make The Track (and its new occupants) successful, help grow the local economy and raise the profile of Bognor Regis.”

To learn more about the Track or to see how you could get support to run your business, you can visit www.bognorregishub.com or www.thetownsquare.co.uk, tweet @bognorregishub or e-mail [email protected].

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