Additional reporting by Oliver Leader de Saxe

The project leader of a “world-class” business hub says it is “thriving” almost a year on from its launch.

The Sheerness Dockyard Church, on Sheppey, was burned down after a huge blaze in May 2001 but has been rebuilt after a multi-million-pound restoration.

It reopened in June under the name IslandWorks and is for 16 to 30-year-olds looking to grow their own business.

The revival of the religious site had been in the works for eight years after the Sheerness Dockyard Preservation Trust (SDPT) took on the project.

The former chairman and now patron Will Palin, son of TV Star Michael Palin, says it has now “passed expectations” 10 months on from its launch.

He said: “It's wonderful to come here and see the building full of life.

“The cafe is thriving, the business space is busy, the meeting rooms are busy and there’s a sense that the community has embraced the building and is enjoying it.

“I couldn’t have wished for more.

“I think people really enjoy coming here, it's just a lovely place.

“There are knitting clubs and all sorts of activities that happen here during the day.

“Another positive element is youth support providers who have sessions here where they give mentoring and teaching.

“We also have the A-Grade co-working space for people on the Island who want to get a business going.

“What’s wonderful is seeing people from off the Island using the church, such as some people I have met from Tunbridge Wells, so we can see we are doing our jobs right.”

Meanwhile, the manager of IslandWorks Coffee Lounge, Sharon Morgan, says day-to-day life at her cafe is “absolutely incredible” and she is “not taking it for granted”.

She’s even had Gogglebox favourite Mary Killen in for coffee and cake.

“The architecture still amazes me daily,” she said, “It was overwhelming the first time I stepped foot in the building as I felt like a speck.

“I didn’t think I would start working at a place like this. I was on a journey to open my own coffee shop and it's exceeded my own expectations of what is possible.

“We're a thriving community and it's not just about a cup of coffee. It's about the customer service and engagement and what goes in it. You learn so much about people who are in the different areas here.”

One user of IslandWorks is mortgage advisor Ash Jones of TBK Mortage Studio.

He uses the facilities two or three times a week and says he feels “relaxed” using the workspaces thanks to the “friendly atmosphere”.

He said: “There is not a space like this on the Island, it’s completely different to anything I have used before.

“I had first come here for a coffee and then when I came in I was blown away.

“It is a nice and friendly place and so much more relaxing than working in an office.

“It’s lovely to have a two and three-minute chat with people that you would get while being at work but you don’t have someone watching over you like you would do in a normal office environment.”

The place of worship, which opened in 1829 as part of the complete redevelopment of the Naval Dockyard, suffered its first fire in 1881 and was partly rebuilt.

Following the closure of the Naval Dockyard in 1960, the church continued its status as a place of worship, before it was closed entirely in the 1970s and then used as a sports club. It was empty at the time of the 2001 fire.

However, the site was acquired by Swale council in 2016 via compulsory purchase, where ownership was eventually transferred to the SDPT.

A £5.2 million donation from the National Lottery Heritage Fund was then awarded in 2019 to help rebuild the site, before a further £3.2 million of contributions was given from various trusts and foundations, including Historic England.

The project, which eventually totalled £9.5 million, took a significant step when it appointed architects Hugh Broughton and conservation specialists Martin Ashley in 2020.

Work then focused on restoring the building’s exterior to its original 1828 design through the reinstatement of its hipped roof and high stone parapet wall.

The church’s interior has now been revamped to produce a modern design suited to the younger audience its rebuild has been completed for.