East Essex Hackspace is a non profit organisation which will be providing a community workshop space, lectures and events in the former Clements Hall Cricket Pavilion on Park Gardens road in Hawkwell. At the end of May we will be signing a seven year lease.

Rochford Council is allowing East Essex Hackspace to move in before the lease, to assist us in manufacturing and distributing COVID-19 emergency PPE to the NHS and other health workers. With new urgency, we require the pavilion to be transformed into a usable space for equipment such as our laser cutters and 3D printers which are working to make PPE.

To date (1st May), our volunteers have produced 9,000 face shields and 6,000 ear protectors working from bedrooms, patios, garages and garden sheds. The only way to increase production is to increase the length of time we cut with the equipment we have. By having a central location, volunteers working in one-person shifts can man many machines all day long.

The Pavilion has been closed for the last eight years and has fallen into a dilapidated state. A rat infestation, vandalism and years without regular maintenance have left the space in need of a significant clean up effort. The council has invested £25k in a new roof for the building to secure its place in the community, however all internal works are left to us.

As a non profit Community Interest Company, we intend to raise funding through grant applications, but to get started, we are asking the community to help where they can, to allow us to open the doors as quickly as possible.

All the work will be done by volunteers but we need to raise money for materials to make this happen.

We need, in rough order of priority:

- Cleaning & Sanding supplies £100

- Interior Paint, rollers, brushes etc - £200

- Building work - £700

- New stainless catering Kitchen - £600

- Fire extinguishers & signage £200

- Electrical rewiring £2,500

- Interior double door £150

- Electric hand wash stations x 3 = £150

- Acid etchant & Floor paint for workshop £300

Should the crowdfunding allow us to do so we may add to this list as we find other things that need fixing.

If you want to participate email info@eehack.space, or visit us on Facebook at http://eehack.space