Viva Brighton Issue #83 January 2020

INTERVIEW
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MYbrighton: Olga Hopton
Managing Director, Plus X Brighton Innovation Hub
Are you local? I moved to Brighton from Birmingham
and I’ve lived here for four years, does
this make me local? Originally, I am from Poland.
What does your job involve? I’m managing
the set up and launch of the first Plus X
Innovation Hub, which will provide 550 desks
for freelancers, entrepreneurs, makers, start-ups
and scale-ups. Located at the Preston Barracks
site on Lewes Road, which has been derelict for
20 years, it’s part of the biggest regeneration
project Brighton has seen for decades. My job is
to ensure our innovation hub runs successfully,
providing the support our members need to help
their businesses innovate and grow. All the while
optimising positive social impact and minimising
the environmental impact. It’s all very exciting.
It’s very big! They are calling it the New York
skyline of Brighton. But as the city is hemmed
in between the sea and the hills, it is necessary
for buildings to grow upwards, to provide
accommodation and work space for the growing
community.
What do you like most about Brighton? I
love the fact that there are people from so many
different backgrounds, who care about the same
issues, such as sustainability, diversity, a fair living
wage, and equality. I’m happy to have joined a
very progressive community.
Does anything annoy you about the city?
We could do more about plastic pollution. I
would like local businesses to sign a pledge not
to use plastic bottles. That would really make a
difference.
Which pubs and restaurants do you like? I
like The Better Half, in Hove, a real English
pub with a quirky atmosphere. I walk there and
back from where I live in Prestonville, so I don’t
feel guilty having a big roast. The Urchin has a
good wine list, including Slovenian and Croatian
wines. As for restaurants, the Salt Room never
disappoints. Their fish is good, and they make
their own bread.
Where do you shop for food? Waitrose is my
supermarket of choice: they do more to push sustainability,
like using British farmers. Otherwise
Infinity and HISBE, to stock up on healthy stuff.
Is Brighton good for other shopping? The
independent shops in the Laines and North
Laine prove that shopping can be an enjoyable
experience, not just an act of blind consumerism.
Magazine Brighton and Gunn’s Florist are some
of my favourite.
What’s your favourite architectural landmark
in the city? Brunswick Square. I think it is beautifully
designed, perfectly symmetrical with the
green in the middle and opening up to the sea.
How do the South Downs compare with the
Carpathians? They’re smaller! But they make
for lovely hill walks. I did the 40-mile overnight
South Downs Way charity walk back in summer:
we started at midnight and finished at three in
the afternoon.
When did you last swim in the sea? In September.
I used to swim throughout the year with
a Danish friend. No wetsuits, just in a bikini. But
she left town, so I lost my motivation!
Interview by Alex Leith
plusx.space
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