News and Events

The V&A yesterday announced a multi- million-pound refurbishment of the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, to make a “world-leading” centre for children here in east London.

The Wednesday morning breakfast was brilliantly framed by two local schoolchildren, who invited V & A director Tristram Hunt to speak of the project’s capacity to ‘spark ingenuity’, plus MP for Bethnal Green and Bow Rushanara Ali to speak passionately about how she had visited the museum, east London’s first, when she was a child, and remains committed to heightening access to the museum for those who need it most.

With Tower Hamlets having the highest rate of child poverty in the whole of the UK, and an ever-diminishing arts provision in the classroom, the role of institutions like the V&A in east London have never been more sharply in focus.

The plan to create “the world’s most joyful museum” in Bethnal Green has been drawn up with the help of local schoolchildren and the framework for the designs are pretty progressive, with a focus on the following approaches looking to really maximise the impact the museum has on its young visitors and the wider community;

‘In and Out’ – looks to reconnect the museum with the street and making access easier.

‘Up & Down’ – via a dramatic new installation called Kaleidoscope, invites visitors to explore the full extent of the museum as the installation connects the lower and upper levels.

‘Around & About’ – reconnects all aspects of the museum, learning spaces and displays, outdoor space and studios. There will be a lot more ‘dialogue’ between the different elements of the museum.

This messaging is drawn from the literature that was shared on the day by the lead architecture practice responsible for the plans, De Matos Ryan.

Beyond the conceptual ideas that were shared, came the practicalities that this is going to cost £13.5m, and that the museum will be at least part closed whilst the work is carried out.

This means that there will be great opportunity for local organisations and institutions in the Bethnal Green area to pick up the work that would otherwise have been delivered at the Museum of Childhood. Now is perhaps the time, therefore, to push forward with conversations around how to partner up and ensure that a broad range of benefits are shaped up for both young people, schools and local organisations alike.

Do you have ideas around this? Get in touch & we can discuss them.

LoveBethnalGreen.com are disrupting Bethnal Green Road market on Saturday 13^th October by giving some stalls to social businesses in the area. We want to hear from purposeful people in the area who are making great products, delivering great services or just doing great work.

There is still time to apply – we’ll consider applications now up until the end of September.

So far we’ve got beatboxers, funders, self-love projects & an emissions reduction initiative! Get involved – take advantage of this unique platform to share your work & your ideas with a massive audience on Bethnal Green Road. Any questions, don’t hesitate > joe.gray@oxfordhouse.org.uk

And if you aren’t ready to take a stall – please come down and meet some of the amazing characters trading with purpose in the area.

In efforts to reduce energy consumption during the creeping cold ahead, the Council has launched a great initiative aimed at supporting SME organisations in Tower Hamlets to become more energy efficient.

The SME Energy Improvement Grants Programme makes available grants for 50 per cent of project costs up to £5,000 for energy efficiency improvements. These projects can include things such as moving towards using more efficient equipment, heating and lighting upgrades, insulation solutions and utilising renewable technologies. The Council have pledged to support any project which can demonstrate notable energy savings!

Eligibility criteria

An organisation is eligible to receive a grant if they are a Small to Medium sized Enterprise (SME) by meeting all of the following criteria:

• Have no more than 250 employees
• Annual turnover not in excess of £25m
• Not more than 25 per cent owned by an entity which does not meet the criteria
• Premises where the measures will be installed must be in Tower Hamlets

Applying for a grant

• Applications will be accepted until 8 November 2018.
• All applications will be assessed by a Grants Panel and SMEs will be notified if their application has been successful.
• Please note that projects cannot commence until the grant has been approved.

If this is something you would be interested in taking advantage of, the application form and guidance notes can be found in the links below. You can then sent this along with a copy of the quote(s) for the project to THEnergy@towerhamlets.gov.uk

If you have any questions about the programme then please use the above email address to get in touch.

More information and the guidance document can be found here.

The application form can be found here.

This month we look forward to some lesser known happenings that E2 has to offer in August. There is such a huge amount that goes on in this pocket of London, we’re looking to really celebrate the sheer range of activity that businesses and organisations put together to keep us challenged, intrigued and inspired. Remember – if you have anything coming up that you would like us to promote on your behalf – simply tag @LoveBthnlGreen on Twitter or Instagram (no vowels in Bthnl!) and use the #E2ToDo, & we’ll help get the word out. To August!

Thai Boxing Fighters Academy AGM – Garrett Centre 

Monday 6th August – 7pm-9pm

The Thai Boxing Fighters Academy isn’t nearly as mean as it sounds. The great work that founder Gohar Ghouse has delivered over the years in the borough has helped its beneficiaries with discipline and fitness, as well as supported many dealing with mental health issues back into work. Its impact is far reaching, and this AGM gives Gohar and his team the chance to reflect and look forward.  Join them to hear from special guest speakers, and to have a bite to eat too on them. RSVP to thaiboxingfightersacademy@yahoo.co.uk

Garret Centre, 117 Mansford Street, E2 6LX

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Sara Pascoe – Backyard Comedy Club 

Wednesday 8th August – 8pm-10pm

Sara Pascoe is becoming a staple of the panel show circuit, with regular slots on ‘Have I Got News For You’, ‘QI’ & ‘Frankie Boyle’s New World Order’. She brings a refreshing blend of matter of fact, deadpan realism to the table, and never seems to over-cook it, relying more on her capacity to connect with audiences in an understated way. Get over the intimate surroundings of the Backyard Comedy Club to see her re-work some material before heading out on tour.

231 Cambridge Heath Road, E2 0EL 

Opening Night of The Bethnal Green Tavern – Bethnal Green Road 

Wednesday 8th August – 5:30pm onwards

The ever-changing face of Bethnal Green Road gets another nip and tuck in the form of The Bethnal Green Tavern, which opens its doors for the first time in its new format on Wednesday 8th August. There will be music from Whiskey Symposium, as well as tasters of their food and drink menu. Come on down from 5:30pm and see what the latest pub offering on Bethnal Green Road has to say for itself…#BethnalGreenTav

456 Bethnal Green Road, E2 0EA

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‘The Green’ partnership meeting 

Tuesday 14th August – 6pm-7:30pm

It’s time to get together again for our partnership meeting, bringing together businesses, organisations and individuals who live in the Bethnal Green area to hear what they’ve got coming up, and offer them support to really promote themselves via our channels and activities. This month, we’ll be looking ahead to Social Saturday in October, when we’ll be shining a light on the excellent work of social enterprises across the area. Come and have your say!

Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, E2 6HG

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MAKEMORE Festival – Victoria Park 

Thursday 23rd – Monday 27th August

MAKEMORE is a new kind of festival – a festival for your hands. Come and spend the day having a go at all different kinds of making, under the expert guidance of some of the most exciting makers working today. You can discover what kind of maker you are through a series of quick hands on activities. Get inspired by the creative energy, some great live music and stand up comedy, plus the best in bars and streetfood.  Get your tickets now for this unique east end gathering.

Victoria Park, E3 5TB

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Summer Fun Day & Gym Launch – Pollard Square 

Monday 27th August – 11am-4pm

Join us for a day of family fun and the launch of the new outdoor gym. This is the launch of a new outdoor space for you to get fit and socialise at, with weekly classes every Monday 6-7pm & every Tuesday 1:30-2:30pm. For more information contact mileendpark@towerhamlets.gov.uk or 0207 365 5227

Pollard Square, E2 6LP

SummerOutdoorGym_PollardSq_A5

We’re really happy to announce that LoveBethnalGreen.com is working with London London College of Communication (LCC), giving students from their BA in Journalism the chance to come and immerse themselves in some east end greatness.

LoveBethnalGreen.com is an excellent vehicle for supporting the varying elements of life in E2, and this winter, we’re gathering fresh perspectives on Bethnal Green, with young writers pitching stories that shine a light on life in the area.

This could come in the form of an interview with a local hero, a favourite place to eat in profile, a contemplative piece on the changing face of Bethnal Green, or a deep dive into the history of pie and mash.  However our young writers have approached this, they’re aiming to shine a positive light on the area, giving some profile to its myriad characters and cultures.

Look out for the articles as they start to flow over the coming days and weeks, and give us a shout if you think we’ve missed out on a great story…

January seems to have lasted an eternity. 5 Monday’s in one month, with freezing weather to match. Long live February! To make sure you start the month off right, we’ve compiled a list of highlights as usual, picking the best bits Bethnal Green has to offer so you don’t have to!

Tower Hamlets Labour Party Winter Jumble Sale -3rd February – St Margaret’s House

Whether you enjoy politics or not, everyone loves a bargain and that’s exactly what you can expect to find at the Labour Party Winter Jumble Sale. With a range of gadgets, toys, books and kitchenware all on sale at rock bottom prices, pop down to St Margaret’s House for some austerity essentials. You can also donate items that are cluttering up your life – drop them off at 11am on the day. 

Entrance is 50p for Labour members, £1, for others

12pm – 4pm, St. Margaret’s House 21 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green, E2 9PL

Super Bowl Party – 4th February – The Star of Bethnal Green

Touchdown at The Star for the screening of the 52nd Super Bowl. With special Super Bowl themed food, special drinks promotion and pre-game entertainment; there will be nowhere better to watch the game and soak up the atmosphere. All tickets come with a free beer and a bag of popcorn to kick things off. What better way to check out the banging refurbishment at one of Bethnal Green’s smoothest venues?

£5 ticket – complimentary beer and popcorn

£17 ticket – complimentary beer and super bowl platter (Smoked BBQ Rib Chunks, Spicy Buffalo Chicken Wings, Deep Fried Pickles and a Homemade Potato Salad)

10pm – 3am, The Star of Bethnal Green 359 Bethnal Green Road, London E2 6LG

New Acts of the Year 2018 Comedy Selection – 6th February – Rich Mix

Comedy nights can often be extremely expensive, especially in and around East London. However Rich Mix are showcasing new, exciting young comedians battling it out to be chosen in the heats for their New Acts of the Year series, where 12 will eventually feature in the showcase final. With free entry, go have a laugh on the cheap!

18+, 7.30pm Rich Mix

35-47 Bethnal Green Rd, London E1 6LA

and from the team at Oxford House….

“The Green” – 20th February – Oxford House  –  Tuesday 20th Febraury

“The Green”, our monthly meeting, will meet once again at 6pm, Oxford House, on Tuesday 20th February, to discuss ourlatest business support news as well as taking a look at the issues that are affecting residents in the area. 

This month, our guest speaker is Michael Smythe, project lead at Phytology and the Bethnal Green Nature Reserve. Michael explores mental and physical well being in our increasingly cramped urban environments. We’re looking forward to hearing how access to nature and complex ecosystems is really important for this.

To get involved in the meeting and to add an agenda point you feel needs addressing please email: bethnal.green@oxfordhouse.org.uk

The strength of these meetings is in the guestlist, so please do share this opportunity far and wide; businesses, residents, organisations  –  all welcome.

Oxford House, Derbyshire St, Bethnal Green, London E2 6HG, United Kingdom

Compiled by Thufayel Ahmed

Photo is from Museum of London and shows an evicted matchbox maker, circa 1910, in Bethnal Green.

Funded by Tower Hamlets Council

Supporting our High Streets and Town Centres

This year we have had some lovely additions to the Bethnal Green Road shop front festive decorations. Ten of our businesses worked with designers make:good to create an East End Garland that is unique to them and celebrates the tools of their trade.

To explore what makes the businesses on Bethnal Green Road unique, make:good asked them ‘What are the tools of your trade?’ and ‘What can’t you do your work without?’. The responses were as diverse as the businesses they visited, and they photographed these collections of objects before creating drawings of them and transforming them into a set of unique festive decorations.

‘We loved getting to talk to the fantastic entrepreneurs running businesses and find out what tools, objects, products they need to be able to make their shops stand out. The diversity of all the objects was fantastic to see and it was a delight to turn these into decorations that are especially for them.’

Catherine & Nataly, make:good

All of this work was supported by Tower Hamlets Town Centre Team.

Earlier this month Trustees of the Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust saw the arrival of the teak stairway in Bethnal Green Gardens, 11 years after the Bethnal Green Memorial was originally proposed. The solid teak structure will soon be craned into position next to the Bethnal Green station entrance stair where the disaster took place back in 1943.

The stairway has 173 conical lightwells cut into its roof plane, representing each of the individuals that died in the disaster nearly 75 years ago. The surnames of each of the victims are carved into the teak on the external faces of stairway. The stairway was fabricated by The Greenoak Carpentry Company with cnc engineering by Solutions in Wood, having been designed by Bethnal Green practise Arboreal Architecture.

To donate to the running costs of this very worthwhile project, please visit the Stairway to Heaven Memorial website here and click ‘donte here’, or you can text 70070 with the following code STHM43 £10

The Green will meet for its next meeting on Tuesday 21st November at 6pm at Oxford House.

We are very pleased to announce that we will be joined this time by author and archivist, Gary Haines. Gary published a book back in 2002 through Images of London. The publication, entitled “Bethnal Green”, is part of a series that uses old photographs and archived images to show the history of various local areas in England, through their streets, shops, pubs, and people.

By day, Gary is Archivist at The V&A Museum of Childhood, so we’re really looking forward to hearing about his work, as well as his connectivity with and passion for the area.

We will also the following;

1. Business support around Christmas
2. Schools and businesses Christmas decorations
3. Business and community support in 2018

If there are any issues you would like to bring to the table for the 21st – please do get in touch: bethnal.green@oxfordhouse.org.uk

We look forward to seeing you at Oxford House, 6pm, Tuesday 21st November.

Funded by Tower Hamlets Council
Supporting our High Streets and Town Centres

We want to shine a light on local businesses & organisations in the run up to Christmas, to encourage greater footfall & a more successful Christmas period than ever before for Bethnal Green.

If you have promotions, discounts, events or deals that you’d like us to shine a light on, please let us know by sending them over to us at bethnal.green@oxfordhouse.org.uk by Monday 20th November so that we can promote them throughout the festive season for you.

If you do not have any promotions running yet, but would like some, let us know and we’ll come and help you develop some ideas for what we hope will be a happy, healthy & successful Christmas period.

Followers in our Twitter accounts: 2949
Our E-newsletters: 2005
Our likes in Facebook: 4780
Our stats: 1600 visitors / month approx

Each business or organisation will receive the following support;
2 x tweets a week linking to your offer or website
2 x posts a week on Facebook linking to your offer or website
1 x post on Love Bethnal Green with some more information about the offer

Funded by Tower Hamlets Council
Supporting our High Streets and Town Centres

Every month, Oxford House invites local businesses, residents and community groups to a meeting known as “The Green”, with the aim of encouraging the community to shape up its own ideas for the high street in Bethnal Green.

Our next meeting will be held on 24th October at 6pm.

We’re delighted to say that we’ll be joined on the 24th by Sandra Scotting from the Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust. Sandra will be talking to us about progress on the new memorial, commemorating those who lost their lives in the Bethnal Green disaster of 1943.

Agenda

– Sandra Scotting from Stairway to Heaven Memorial Trust
– Our Christmas event
– Our ambitions for Love Bethnal Green
– Shop Front Improvements
– New bike racks for Bethnal Green

Please, let us know in advance if you would like to raise any issue on the meeting so we can add it to the agenda: bethnal.green@oxfordhouse.org.uk

To be up to date about The Green news, subscribe to our e-newsletter here.

Oxford House has partnered with London Borough of Tower Hamlets to support the Council’s high street improvement strategy for Bethnal Green.

This partnership formalises the ongoing work Oxford House delivers with the local community, in providing platforms for residents and businesses to both have their say and promote their work. Through the Love Bethnal Green website, the Bethnal Green Business Forum, and now our new series of meetings > The Green, we have tried to show our commitment to the local area, and we look forward to developing these platforms further as part of this partnership.

The Council will work in partnership with Oxford House in Bethnal Green to improve local town centre management practices; to enhance local employment opportunities, and to support delivery of regeneration initiatives. Initiatives being proposed by the local authority will include place marketing and promoting events to help generate footfall; business support programmes; wider business and community engagement activities, supporting consultation on the public realm and other regeneration proposals.

Every month, Oxford House will be inviting local businesses, residents and community groups to a meeting known as “The Green”, which will encourage the community to shape up its own ideas for the high street in Bethnal Green.

These meetings, will take place on the 3rd Tuesday of every month, 6pm, at Oxford House.