by Trevor Sturgess

An historic dockyard workshop is now home to 38 businesses and dozens of jobs just one year after a facelift.

The 200-year-old and Grade II listed Joiners Shop in the former Chatham Dockyard celebrates its first anniversary next week, when former dockyard joiners will return to join guests and new occupants for celebrations.

In the Royal Navy’s heyday, around 60 joiners made ship fittings and elegant furniture in the workshop, now a scheduled ancient monument.

A table they made in 1880 from wood from HMS Resolute ended up in the Oval Office of the White House, used since then by most US presidents from Rutherford B Hayes to George W Bush.

In its 21st century form, it is still creative, with most of its 44 units occupied by up and coming businesses in the creative sector.

The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) co-funded the £3.3m restoration project. Lee Amor, SEEDA’s executive director for infrastructure and development, said: "The Joiners Shop is providing the much-needed infrastructure to encourage and support creative businesses. Creative industries are one of the strengths of our economy and are important to the future economic growth of the South East.

"I am particularly pleased to see the links between the University of Creative Arts and local businesses being fostered within the building. The Joiners Shop is another positive step in the regeneration of Chatham Maritime."

The centre is managed by Basepoint, an organisation that runs office complexes across the country. Joiners Shop manager Allison Sweeney said: "We are delighted that The Joiners Shop has attracted such a wide mix of creative businesses in its first year, from web and graphic designers, architects, IT support, to specialist printers and engravers. It is great to see the demand for space from companies starting up and growing."

Bill Ferris, chief executive of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust, said: "The Historic Dockyard is already home to a thriving community of creative businesses and is a cultural hub within Medway.

"The Joiners’ Shop project, with its specific purpose of creating an enabling environment for small and mainly new creative businesses of all kinds, adds an exciting new dimension."