Fed up of WFH? Get coworking!
By Sarah Cronk
The chances are, if you were new to working from home during the pandemic, it might now be wearing a bit thin. Or perhaps you’re used to independent working, but you need a change of scenery to spice things up a bit. Never fear, Eastbourne has you covered in terms of coworking space.
Cohub, The Works and artist’s impression of FOUNDRY
Offices are all very well - if your company even has one in this day and age. Maybe you’re no longer required to travel up to London every day. Maybe home working just isn’t for you, either due to space, pets, children, or other occupants!
Coffee shops are great, but a little noisy for professional conference calls. Also, they can be quite pricey, if you’re buying refreshments regularly to keep your table and support the hospitality industry.
So what’s the alternative? Coworking space.
Eastbourne has plenty.
Let’s start with…
Cohub
This coworking space is right next to Eastbourne Station and is home to a community of over 75 independent and remote workers. It was the first coworking space in town, located in the former Printworks and a bright, airy space with large, height-adjustable desks. There’s a huge south-facing balcony for summer days. And huge colourful decorative balls hanging from the ceiling bring a playful spirit to the space.
Cohub offers full-fibre connectivity and high-speed wifi, locally roasted coffee in the open plan kitchen, and “24x7x365” access for members. Two meeting rooms, the “Big Box” and “Little Box”, are also available for hire.
Membership is on a month-to-month basis in the large open-plan coworking space, with four different options:
Occasional (£30/month) for 2 days a month hotdesk usage
Weekly (£60/month) for 5 days a month hotdesk usage
Anytime (£105/month) for unlimited hotdesk usage
Fixture (£210/month) for unlimited use with a dedicated desk
When we visited Cohub, our team liked the focused working environment, natural light, and the ability to use the meeting rooms or booths for private conference calls. The only negative - having to let your meeting visitors back into the space after toilet trips!
👉 Discover if Cohub is the one for you.
The Works
The Works feels like the “cool hipster” alternative to Cohub, with its exposed brickwork walls, Bodega cafe on the ground floor, and small quirky breakout zones. Again, it’s just a stone’s throw from Eastbourne Station. It’s full of natural light, especially on the top floor, thanks to the huge skylight.
This venue, in addition to open-plan hotdesks, has some areas divided up into suites for more permanent offices. But the split of the space over three floors means there’s always a quiet corner to settle down in for work. The division helps to break up travelling sound, which can be problematic in larger spaces.
A meeting room is, of course, available to book. The Works has everything else you’d expect: a business address for mailing, high-speed broadband, kitchen area, bills and rates included, and 24-hour access.
There are a variety of access options available:
Hot desk (£25/day)
Unlimited access (£130/month) with a hotdesk
Dedicated desk (£220/month)
Suites (from £350 to £1100/month, depending on size)
Our team loved the flexibility of The Works and we feel “cool” working there. The only negative - the road outside isn’t the prettiest.
👉 See if The Works is your dream workspace.
FOUNDRY
The new kid on the block, opening in summer 2022, is a “revolutionary” creative space that combines business, retail, leisure and wellness. It’s spread over two floors in The Beacon; the ground floor being boutique concessions for independent retailers and lifestyle units, the upper floor reserved as office space. Between the two areas, there are bleachers for communal meetings and events.
In the high-ceilinged office space, there is a mixture of areas. Firstly, a bar/lounge area where they’ve added windows to look out over the Beacon’s shopping atrium. There’s a great array of seating for different purposes. And this is where you get the free coffee and the honesty bar.
Breaking up this large contemporary unit are offices for 2, 4, or 6 people, plus a meeting room, podcast room, ‘resident’ desks, lockers and showers.
The entry options:
Day pass (£25/day)
Lounge pass (from £145/month) - for those who love coffee shops but want a more formalised work zone
Resident (from £295/month) - a permanent desk with storage, for those sick of WFH
Office (from £450/month) - a base for businesses
The only negative we’ve spotted so far is that you have to pay to hire the meeting room at an hourly rate, in addition to the above costs.
It promises to be an exciting space to work in and we look forward to trying it out this summer.
Eastbourne Library
The “original” coworking space! The library gets overlooked somewhat in today’s day and age, but if you’re looking for somewhere quiet - and possibly most importantly - free to work, you can book some study space or a computer online.
Eastbourne Library is in the heart of town, right next to Little Chelsea and the station, and is open from 10am-5pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, until 6pm on Thursdays, and 1pm on Wednesdays. There’s also private space to attend online job interviews.
So, where will you be working?
There are plenty of great options in Eastbourne to find a space to suit you, whether your work style is flexible, remote, or hybrid. It’s fantastic to have such a quantity and variety of working locations to support our town’s entrepreneurial spirit.
p.s. If we can’t persuade you and you really love coffee shops, then check out our reviews of Little Chelsea roasteries to find the one for you.
Bodega, the coffee shop below The Works
