Photo taken from Brixton Impact Hub

Lambeth’s Hub

Lambeth Council intends to convert Lambeth Town Hall’s basement into an impact hub for new local businesses by April.

Following the example of Islington Borough, who now have two more hubs, Lambeth have decided to turn their town hall into a space for local businesses, start up companies and local charities in order to further aid Lambeth’s economy and local production. Lambeth is holding ‘Vision Workshops’ on March 21 and 26 in order to determine a final plan for the basement’s layout and design.

Plans for the impact hub were finalised on March 7, and will be rolled out for a trial in April. The project is part of an overall scheme by Lambeth Council to turn Lambeth Town Hall into a focused area for the community.

The Impact Hub is currently a blank canvas in terms of design, but the hub is reviving advice by a specialist low-carbon and sustainable architectural collective 00, who worked on hubs in Islington and Westminster. ‘We’d love to source everything we can with a purpose, whether because it is sustainable or locally made, or brought in by our members’ said Lambeth Council in a press statement.

The project has been given an organisational head start by Makerhood, a community interest company who work to create a focus point for local businesses and artists in other areas such as Herne Hill and Streatham.

For a fee, businesses and societies will be able to set up company offices within Lambeth town hall. Businesses and charities will be encouraged to work with Lambeth Council in order to come up with opportunities for Lambeth’s diverse population. The hub will be working on a non-for-profit basis, with emphasis on creating locally made works of art and products.

“The Impact Hub offers an opportunity for everyone to collaborate and nurture that talent to create productive and useful enterprises to benefit the whole community” Said local councillor Jackie Meldman, “Brixton’s Hub will offer flexible, affordable access to office facilities on a membership basis, within the Town Hall”.

The hub will allow locally made products to be available to Brixton people through Lambeth Town hall, with the council pledging to make both the design and businesses ‘Brixton’s own’.

Words by Toby Roddham