Impact Hub Brixton and its member community of 130 local entrepreneurs, makers, creators and freelancers are excited to take the next step in our journey as we move into Pop Brixton on Monday 5th October.
Our new home has been made possible by the Mayor of London’s High Street Fund, plus investment from Lambeth Council and Pop Brixton – to whom we are incredibly grateful.
Pop Brixton is the result of an exciting collaboration between Lambeth Council, Carl Turner Architects and The Collective. The council provided the land at no cost, on the condition that the project delivers benefits to the community. This included the agreement that 10 units would be made available at reduced rent for local start-ups and organisations that have a positive social impact.
With the Town Hall refurbishment underway, the move has given us at the Hub space to reflect on how we can create more positive impact in Lambeth.
We’ve already set the wheels in motion by expanding our team. A bigger Hub team means we are able to deliver more events and opportunities, and invite even more people to take part in conversations and action for a better Lambeth.
Powered by a creative workspace, peer-to-peer learning system and a range of community events, Impact Hub Brixton is home to meaningful conversations. This community spirit and sense of purpose has led to 72% of members reporting that, since joining, they are happier, more confident and have a stronger sense of self-worth.
We believe that affordable, flexible space is a great starting point for a more inclusive Lambeth. To make the most of this, we will be opening our doors from November for:
+ a series of monthly dinners on the first Thursday of each month
+ open project nights on every Thursday except that first Thursday, where anyone interested in building a better Lambeth can come to use the Hub space for meetings, working, connecting or sharing ideas
+ a time and skill exchange system, where people can trade all sorts of skills via a central ‘bank’ – think illustration, accountancy, photography, Portuguese, gardening…
Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to hear more about these plans.
Ongoing events include a course called U.Lab: Transforming Business, Society and Self.
This course teaches tools and techniques to help us think, listen, work together and create projects in a radically collaborative way.
This means we can start tackling issues across sectors – imagine if corporates and start-ups and local authorities and students and academics worked on solutions for the housing crisis for example. Imagine how much more far-reaching and impactful the solutions might be.
We want to apply this methodology to our local context here in Lambeth to see what might be possible.
And we’re not the only ones exploring how we can create positive impact. Here’s what some of our members are doing:
- Brixton Pound – Our favourite local currency has recently kicked off its micro grants scheme, the Brixton Fund
- School Ground Sounds – run by ex-maths teacher Tom, this music charity connects pupils with opportunities to perform and promote their musical talent
- Rastafari Movement UK CIC – run by a committee of local people, this campaign and action group is working to provide young people in Brixton with an alternative to life in gangs
In the next couple of months we will also be building up our external partnerships to provide opportunities to local people, both young and old. One such partner that we are looking forward to collaborating with again is Lambeth College. Last year their media department connected with social entrepreneurs in need of video. You can watch the results here and here.
Want to get involved, host your event, work in the space, trade your skills, and connect with inspiring people? Come and meet us during one of our tours, or drop us a line.
The post Impact Hub Brixton moves to POP! appeared first on Brixton.