East Essex Hackspace CIO has been chosen to run the Freight House, the Great Eastern Railway goods shed beside Rochford station that opened with the railway in 1889. We are now finalising the lease, and we're starting this fund so the venue is ready to go as soon as the doors open.

Our plan is a busy, seven-day community venue: a main hall for gigs, markets, parties and festivals, alongside workshops, a local heritage museum and drop-in centre, repair cafés and partner health and wellbeing sessions. By our reckoning the move makes us the second biggest hackspace in Europe, though we admit that counting the event hall and the museum is a bit cheeky!

To host great events we need the right equipment. The Venue Fund will pay for two things:

The bar: refurbing the bar counter, glassware, accessories, till and card readers

Entertainment: PA system, stage lighting, staging, projector and screen

Every piece of equipment will be owned by the charity and available to community groups using the hall. Surplus from events goes straight back into the building, funding the activities we offer free or at cost.

What your donation does: £10 buys a case of glassware · £50 a stage light · £250 a speaker

A note on timing: the lease is not yet signed. We won't spend anything from this fund until it is. If for any reason the lease does not go ahead, or if we raise more than we need, your donation will go towards East Essex Hackspace CIO's community events and wider charitable work. UK taxpayers can add Gift Aid at no extra cost.