BRIGHTON AND HOVE is a real hub for freelance work and among the top ten cities in the country for people who choose to go it alone.

More than nine out of ten of our freelancers moved here from other parts of the UK because the lifestyle and resources our city has to offer are ideal for independent work.

We’re a diverse and creative city with a rich culture that attracts writers, digital experts and artists who make up a significant proportion of the freelance community.

A survey undertaken by Brighton Fuse found that for nearly two thirds of local freelancers, home was their most important work space. For many, the flexibility of being at home was the main motivation and equal to the potential to realise a business idea. Working at home keeps your overheads down plus you get to work outside of the nine to five routine and avoid the rat run of commuting.

It sounds attractive and it is. I was a freelancer for many years. It was hard work getting a business off the ground but the rewards came in the shape of time to go running or even pop down to the beach on a sunny afternoon.

The time when I really struggled was mid-winter. Stuck at a desk in a windowless basement, I knew things had to change when I realised the only conversation I’d had all day was with Siri. And if you think I didn’t do this – try asking Siri what zero divided by zero is. His answer didn’t make me feel any better.

However, it doesn’t need to be like this. Bemoaning my isolation to a fellow freelancer one day, he suggested trying out co-worker space, in fact he went one step further. About five minutes after I put the phone down, an email popped up from him with a link to The Skiff in the North Laine area.

I walked past a couple of times, peering through the window to see what it was like, before ringing the bell. I met the lovely Tom, who took a break from whatever creative digital techie thing he was doing, to show me around.

I was instantly sold. I had discovered one of our city’s best co-working spaces and it changed my working day and lifestyle in general. I started hot-desking and everyone was so welcoming, even taking me out for fish and chips in my first week.

The Skiff describes itself as an opportunity to “escape the isolation” of home-working. This was certainly the case for me. No more asking Siri complex mathematical problems just so that I could hear a voice. I was working in a shared office space with lots of interesting and fun people doing all sorts of exciting work.

There is a lovely common room area with a huge wooden table where people gather for coffee, lunch and chat. You might think there would be too much temptation to spend all day doing just that, but I found there was a quiet discipline and a studiousness that rubbed off on me. With quiet spaces for phone calls and meeting rooms to share, I was actually getting more done that I had at home.

The Skiff is community-owned so you have the chance to become a member and buy-in to the workspace as well.

I popped back recently to return my key and had the good fortune of doing so in the middle of the regular Friday evening “Skiff Drinks”. OK – I admit, I timed it like that. Anyway, members and users of the space socialise, network, get to know each other and enjoy a drink or two. It was lovely to see people again and I was reminded that while we were all working in our own fields on our own projects, there was a real community feel to all being in the same workspace. I’m hoping I can pop along to their Christmas social too – ‘Skiffmas’.

Now I am leader of the council, I still take a keen interest in how we can help freelancers succeed in our city. Creative and digital industries are at the heart of a lot of freelance work and we take pride in having such an energetic small-business led economy.

That is why we are redeveloping New England House to become a leading creative hub for small businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurs and freelancers. We are always looking for ways to encourage this community of workers to develop.

We really can lead the way in co-work spaces, creating communities and networks of freelancers, and offering an alternative to working alone in the basement.

Skiff members talk about calling clients in London and them noticing the sounds of seagulls and the sea in the background instead of dreary London traffic. This is what is special about our city for people to work in, and we must always look to build on that.