The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club in East London has launched a “fighting fund” crowdfunder to save the venue.
The space has been host to various music, comedy, and theatre gigs, and has hosted a plethora of seminal shows throughout the years. The inclusive building is Grade II listed and has a Certificate of Lawfulness – acknowledging the use-class as an official cabaret theatre. However, those protections are not enough to save the venue from coming under threat.
Created by Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (FoBGWMC) – a community group comprised of locals, performers, punters, programmers, and trade union members – the “fighting fund” will help pay for a planning bid to persuade Tower Hamlets Council to save the club.
The fund needs to raise £12,000 by April 8, which will pay for a full chartered survey and valuation of the building, as well as the planning application costs which will put vital
protections on the building.
The fund also has an extended target of £18,000 which will allow FoBGWMC to develop a robust business plan with financial projections and cover all consultancy and accountant costs.
Everyone who donates to the fund will have the opportunity to earn rewards of BGWMC merchandise, including an A3 print of the club by the artist Lawrence Brand for donations over £70, BGWMC beers mats for donations over £30, and a Save BGWMC campaign postcard for donations over £20.
You can visit here to donate.
Nick Keegan, Equity’s Variety Organiser, shared in a press release: “A community purchase on this scale will be no small task. We are trying to be absolutely realistic about this. We believe a partnership between the community of BGWMC and Tower Hamlets Council does have the ability to achieve this.
“We believe it is essential to save this unique cultural facility and give it a chance to continue serving the local community of Tower Hamlets, the LGBTQ+ community, and the wider cultural tapestry of London for future generations. We are determined to build that case, and make sure that the cultural and societal value of BGWMC is clear for all to see.”
Keegan continued: “BGWMC is a crucial and irreplaceable fixture of London’s cultural heritage. It has been a catalyst for the development of new artists and cultural workers in the city, a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, and it is a building with more than 100 years of history as a community owned space. It is vital that we protect BGWMC for future generations and allow its legacy to live on. ”
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