How do you feel about saving on your electricity bill, chowing down on a Snickers and Nutella toastie, and working in a “stunning and relaxed” environment?

If that sounds like your idea of heaven then Sheppey’s latest co-working space is the place to be.

Island Works, which is run by Fruitbowl Media, operates within the Dockyard Church in Sheerness.

The historic building was left in ruin for more than 20 years after a devastating fire and it received a multi-million-pound restoration which saw it become a “world-class” business hub.

Paul Andrews, chief executive of Fruitbowl Media, claims co-working spaces are the new and “popular” way for employees to undertake their jobs in a way which is widely used in London.

The 68-year-old said: “Co-working is a very popular thing these days, especially since the pandemic and lockdown when people were sent to work at home.

“Co-working is about providing a flexible space for people to work in which isn't their back bedroom or kitchen table.

“It doesn't stop you from working at home if you want to but it gives you a break.”

Paul, who is from Tenterden near Ashford also operates a similar co-working site in Canterbury.

He explained that both spaces are used by not only remote workers but also small businesses, sole traders, and some workers who just can’t afford their own office.

“The whole idea behind co-working is you can use this space as little or as much as you want.

“You can come in just for one day, or you could use it five days a week or anything in between, you're not locked into it. It's incredibly flexible.

“The benefits of co-working, especially now with the high cost of energy, is that it's cheaper to work here and get warm with our energy than it is to heat your own home.

“We also have high-speed broadband, a fibre-optic link which is incredibly efficient, and it's also a nice environment to work in.”

There is also an eatery on the Dockyard Church site, a public coffee shop, where Island Work co-working members get a 10% discount.

Here you can get a range of locally sourced cakes and sandwiches – including the Snickers and Nutella toastie.

Co-working memberships cost £50 a month for one-day-a-week access, £75 a month for three-day-a-week access, and £120 a month for five-day-a-week access.

All memberships can be canceled at any time and come with a 50% discount on all meeting rooms and in-hours event space hires which range from £15 to £120 per booking.

Paul first got involved with the Dockyard project over 10 years ago, when the Dockyard Trust first began restoring the religious building.

He took a lease on the building and began to operate Island Works at the site in June.

Island Works also runs events such as craft fairs and Christmas markets on the premises.

Paul added: “As the place grows, you'll find that there is a whole different mix of different people in our co-working space.

“We have financial consultants, insurance brokers, engineers, software developers, a whole range of different people doing different things.

“The whole ethos of Island Works is that it is a community space on a number of different dimensions.

“But from the co-working point of view, it's a business community. It's a great place to network with other businesses.

“There are other like-minded people to work with, should you want to share experiences.

“The atmosphere is absolutely stunning and it is so relaxed here, just a beautiful place to work.

“Anybody's welcome to come down at any time, have a cup of coffee, and just walk around the building and have a look see what it's like see what's going on.”

To find out more about the co-working space visit islandworks.co.uk.

The Dockyard Church is open Monday to Saturday every week from 9am till 5pm.