• AS a councillor in Gospel Oak, I’d like to say a big thank you to Camden Council’s economic development team for running the pop-up programme, which makes fruitful use of empty council-owned shops.

This allows start-up businesses or voluntary sector organisations free use of a space for a certain length of time and helps ensure properties do not stand empty.

I understand the pop-up idea is one that came out of collaboration with residents a few years ago, so thanks are due also to those who worked with the council and came up with the idea.

The team have been enthusiastically keeping the scheme going ever since, and have attracted a number of different organisations to use the pop-up spaces.

Without their work we would not have been lucky enough to have the likes of the fantastic Sir Hubert von Herkomer Arts Foundation come to Queen’s Crescent.

The pop-up space has provided a springboard for that organisation to get to know the young people in our area and, given the amazing things they have achieved over the summer, I’m really pleased that they want to stay and continue to work with young people around Queen’s Crescent. I know our young people want this too.

I and others have been working with Sir HvH Arts to help them find a longer-term home, and to initiate collaborations with other voluntary sector groups to run ongoing projects in the area; which in fact they have already started.

Debbi Clark and Sir HvH Arts have brought so much energy, positivity, and life to Gospel Oak this summer, and if this is the sort of result that the pop-up programme can produce, I can only see it as a good thing, and hope that it continues to bring in further new talents to Gospel Oak in the future as well.

CLLR JENNY MULHOLLAND
Labour, Gospel Oak ward