Free office space in Camden Town: just gossip?

Published: 11 March 2010
by DAN CARRIER

A CELEBRITY gossip journalist has become one of the first people to benefit from a Town Hall-backed scheme offering free office space to “creative young people” in Camden Town.

The council are ploughing £20,000 into the “pop-up office” project at a former bakery In Camden High Street. And among those who will benefit from a  year’s rent-free space, paid for partly by taxpayers, is Zoe Griffin, who styles herself as a “party princess”. 

Leading stories on her website yesterday (Wednesday) included the news that Cheryl Cole is house-hunting in Essex and that, according to the Sun, Amy Winehouse is due to re-marry her former husband Blake Fielding in Las Vegas. Other gems include Zoe’s sister giving make-up tips and profiles of her “party team”.

The scheme, subsidised by a £20,000 grant from business group Camden Town Unlimited (CTU) on top of the money from Camden Council, has also seen a floor of the former bakers kitted out with all they need to run a business. 

Former Sunday Mirror columinist Zoe, who says she used to have to run her four-person business from swanky Shoreditch private members club, said: “It has transformed us as a business. Hiring offices is super expensive.”

The building has been donated rent free for a year by art philanthropist David Roberts, one of the country’s biggest collectors of modern art who runs a swanky gallery in Fitzrovia. 

He has long-term plans to use the building to house his extensive art collection – but in the meantime has offered it free of charge for a year.

A spokesman for CTU said: “We want Camden to be a place that attracts young, creative companies and this way we can offer help to them help getting started.”

As well as Zoe, two graphic design companies, a holiday planning firm and a fashion house will get the keys to the door this week.