First members of The_Track enjoy benefits of co-working in Bognor Regis

New members welcomed to the shared and collaborative workspace inside the Bognor Regis train station.

Bognor Regis’s creative and digital hub, The_Track, is celebrating having welcomed its first business and freelancer members to its shared workspace ahead of its formal launch.

Covid restrictions have had a strong impact on co-working, and the hub has been operating at a limited capacity, but despite this, The_Track has been able to support a number of founding members.

It has safely held over 40 workshops, which have supported more than 200 people and is also home to eight local businesses - one of which has already started creating jobs.

The_Track is an initiative led by West Sussex County Council, with the support of the Coast to Capital LEP and managed by startup and coworking experts, Town Square Spaces Ltd (TownSq).

It provides shared and collaborative workspace, events space, meeting rooms and ultrafast fibre broadband for creative and digital businesses in the local area.

One of the businesses that has made The_Track its home is BAM Training. Director Neil Denley said: "We founded our company in March 2021. As a start-up, we were looking for an office location that was flexible and able to adapt as we grew - while providing a professional environment.

"Since joining we have been blown away with the creative assets within the building – the Community Manager Georgia has been invaluable in connecting us to other businesses to support our development."

With remote working quickly becoming the norm, the space has also supported local workers, helping them to reduce their commute and work from a space closer to home.

Alastair Cullen, a Buyer at B&Q was struggling with working from home after his workplace changed and found the hub a perfect place to focus: "I was recommended to take a look at The_Track after mentioning to a friend that I was finding it challenging to work from home after office capacity was cut at my workplace. I missed the water cooler chat and began to feel lonely working on my own at home every single day. Working at the hub has resulted in my productivity increasing and my ability to work remotely.

"I have found a community of other professionals who don’t take themselves too seriously. We support each other through challenges and celebrate each other's successes."

Paul Marshall, Leader of West Sussex County Council said: "In line with Covid-safe guidance, The_Track opened its doors to founding members earlier this year and has been providing safe co-working over the past few months.

"It is always great to hear positive feedback from members and pay as you go users, as it means we, and the team that heads up The_Track, have done the right things to make sure that the space can perform to its full potential and provide local people with a collaborative working space that serves individuals with their own unique ways of working."

The Track is now open to enquiries for pre-booked visits and tours and there are a variety of membership packages available, ranging from day passes to full-time access.