We’ve all heard about the mega project to grow a digital cluster in London’s Shoreditch. Well here comes TechResort, a not for profit that’s doing the same thing in Eastbourne

I founded TechResort 18 months ago and am now joined by five other directors from the local digital industry. We don’t have a Google HQ and hundreds of startups here yet, but we’re getting there.

The big questions interest me most. What does the local sector need to grow and thrive? What skills do our young people have and want to develop? How could our local colleges and university play a part? As a town, what message should we be sharing with the outside world?

Also I lead on engagement, which is a fancy way of saying that I encourage people who’ve never met to think about these issues and work together. We’re also putting agile principles into action. Which basically means that we try ideas, learn quickly and adapt as needed.

There’s lots to do still, but we’ve had some great successes already. We’ve launched regular code and making clubs for kids and matched students with tech businesses. One of our students won a coveted British Science Association CREST award, the first tech project they’d ever seen.

In January 2015 we won £160,000 from the Coastal Communities Fund. This will help us grow TechResort even further and make a lasting difference to Eastbourne.

Project photos