Whitechapel gets its new ‘small business’ centre off the ground in Royal Mail’s old haunt

The old Whitechapel sorting office has been reinvented as a new enterprise hub after two years of planning, ready for Crossrail coming to east London next year.

Kyla McCallum (left) shows her Foldability design product at the Whitechapel hub centre after getting help to start up her business. Picture: LBTH - Credit: LBTH

Royal Mail’s former eight-storey depot in the Whitechapel Road has been turned into the Local Small Business centre for enterprises and start-ups.

It was opened last Thursday with specialist courses to help businesses get off the ground.

“Our remit is to transform communities we serve,” the new centre’s chief executive Laurie Wiseman said. “We are now open to support businesses after two years of and effort.”

The non-for-profit charity is providing business support services for Tower Hamlets Council including start-up courses and a local apprenticeship scheme with facilities including ICT, cheap working spaces, meeting rooms, studios and pods to rent.

The centre has been paid for with £230,000 from the Mayor of London’s ‘High Street’ fund to help the wider Whitechapel Plan to regenerate the run-down area.