News and Events

Next up in our Bethnal Greeners series we have the brilliant Juta Shoes, a social enterprise set up with a great mission; equipping underrepresented and underemployed communities with the skills, opportunities and confidence to combat social and financial isolation. As part of Social Saturday 2018, we recently heard from Sabeha Miah, co-founder of Juta Shoes at our networking breakfast. We caught up with her once more to get a further insight!

Your history

Juta Shoes started in 2016 when Joanna and Sabeha came up with a crazy idea to support women in Bethnal Green into work through shoemaking. We knew there was an amazing amount of creative talent in local unemployed women, but not enough job opportunities that paid well, were flexible around childcare requirements, and came with a supportive community. We also knew there was a lot of waste in the fashion industry, and plenty of leather offcuts in our local area that we thought we could repurpose.

So we decided we’d create a company that provided good work while reclaiming waste materials. We started with a Kickstarter campaign in November 2016 – we weren’t sure what people would think ,but we ended up meeting our target in two days. Since then, we’ve branched out into other reclaimed leather accessories, and started running our shoemaking workshops. 

Since we started, we’ve reclaimed over 200 kilos of leather, worked with some amazing partners, and even won a few awards along the way.

Your business 

Juta runs social impact crafts workshops, and sells bespoke leather shoes and accessories, using sustainable and reclaimed materials. We support, train and employ local women who face barriers to work, offering them flexible, supported, well-paid work making our shoes, accessories and other products, and teaching our shoemaking workshops. 

Your passion for the area

We were born in East London and all our roots are here. We exist because of the creativity, skills and passion of the women of Bethnal Green, and we love connecting people, companies, charities, and groups from across East London.

We work closely with local charities like St Hilda’s East Community Centre, Spitalfields City Farm, and St Margaret’s House, all of which exist to support our local community, as well as companies with offices in East London such as Anthropologie in Spitalfields, Investec Bank, and Forward3D.

Your offers

We love running special group workshops – for teams at companies, for birthday parties, or wedding showers! We can customise our workshops to whatever you’d like to do do, whether you’d like to paint your own leather shoes, make your own purses, or surprise a friend with a special present.

Your future

In five years, we want to be a nationally-known company famous for providing amazing, immersive social impact crafts workshops and creating beautiful, useful products using sustainable materials. But we’ll always be based in East London!

Juta Shoes are based at 29 Old Ford Road and make their products in their Shoreditch studio. They can also be contacted through their website www.jutashoes.com

Let’s be honest, if you get out of bed on the right side, Autumn can be a magical season. A lot of us can feel like this is the time of year to embrace the new, saying goodbye to what has been a long hot summer and considering where we want to take things as the nights draw in, and we buckle down for some colder weather and some more considered times. Good luck with your next steps – and we hope you find something that appeals taking place this month in Bethnal Green.

LoveBethnalGreen Networking Breakfast 

Tuesday 9th October – 9am – 10:30am

Join us for breakfast at St. Margaret’s House, & introduce yourselves to the LoveBethnalGreen network. On the morning, we will also hear from some impressive social businesses operating in the Bethnal Green area. We will be joined by the following social business leaders, who will be telling us about the challenges faced and the passion required to make social enterprise really work;

Jim Blakemore – Bikeworks

Sabeha MIah – Juta Shoes

Julius Ibrahim – Second Shot

Last few tickets available here.

St. Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL

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BOYZ NITE OUT at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

Friday 12th October – 9pm – 2am

Get set for a proper proper night out at Bethnal Green’s favourite under the radar hedonist haven. This month, BOYZ bring you a retro boyband realness at their Drag King Club Nite. If that all sounds a bit much, then that’s the idea. BGWMC continues to support art and creativity from what for many are still the margins, and this evening of no holes barred entertainment promises to really hit the high notes. Get your tickets here.

Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club,  E2 6NB

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LoveBethnalGreen #SocialSaturday Market 

Saturday 13th October – 10am – 4pm

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.

So far we’ve got beatboxers, funders, self-love projects, pottery initiatives, an emissions reduction programme & some quality leather produce made entirely from offcuts. Come and join us on Saturday 13th, and learn about who’s delivering purposeful work in the area.

Bethnal Green Road Market, E2

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Anglo-Somali Society Panel Discussion at Oxford House

Monday 22nd October – 6pm – 7:30pm

The Anglo-Somali Society is a not-for-profit international society whose
objective is to foster friendship and understanding between the Somali and English speaking
worlds, by developing cultural and social relations. This evening will feature
a discussion with Dr Joanna Lewis, Associate Professor in International History at LSE
who has specialised in the history of encounters between Britain and Africa since the
19th Century. Joanna is currently working on a research project funded by the Institute
of Global Affairs to investigate how refugees are forced to flee from conflict. She focuses on
how refugees survive the trauma of relocation, rebuilding new lives in London,
and then turn their attention to helping the homeland they have fled. This evening, she will
be talking about this in a lively discussion with the audience.

Oxford House, Derbyshire Street, E2 6HG

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Keir Vine (Portico Quartet) intimate gig at St. Margaret’s Chapel

Tuesday 23^rd October – 7:30pm

Keir Vine from Portico Quartet will be playing a special show, to celebrate the launch of his debut solo album, ‘Instance’ forthcoming on Trestle Records.

Support on the night will come from EQLS (Milo Fitzpatrick/Nick Siddall). This promises to be an intimate gig in the Chapel behind St Margaret’s House, with a maximum capacity of just 40. Just 20 or so tickets are available to purchase, so be quick if you’re keen.

Tickets £8 advance, £10 on the door.

St. Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL

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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.

It’s September and it’s time to get back in touch with what’s happening here in Bethnal Green. As the uniforms are dragged back on and the shorts find their way back to the bottom of the drawer, we’ve picked out some key bits and pieces for the month where Virgo meets Libra. So as the signs of the Zodiac and the seasons change, we can be re-assured that #E2 is consistently delivering the goods – it’s a pleasure to shine a light on such a variety of excellent activity.

Summer Jamboree – A family day by St. Margaret’s House

Saturday 1st September – 11am – 3pm

Round off the last weekend of the school holidays with the return of St. Margaret’s ever-popular family day Jamboree.

This year they’ve curated even more excellent activities for the whole family, with a special focus on creativity and wellbeing.

They have teamed up with some long-time friends of St. Margaret’s House to bring us a wonderful mix of activities throughout the day, so make sure you get along to say farewell to the summer holidays. Booking is required for some of the sessions to avoid disappointment.

St. Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL

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‘Time to Talk Business’ – Leyton Orient FC 

Wednesday 5th September – 12:30 – 2:30pm

Join East London Chamber of Commerce for their ‘Time to Talk Business’ event and take the opportunity to network with up to 80 local, like-minded business professionals in a relaxed and informal atmosphere. We speak from experience when we say that attending this monthly event is a great way to strengthen existing relationships and create new business opportunities. Come along and let the rest of the east end know what you’re up to here in E2. Book now, & use the free guest code TTSEP2018.

Leyton Orient Football Club, Matchroom Stadium, Brisbane Road, Leyton,  E10 5NF

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Kokoroko Live –  Rich Mich Centre

Saturday 15th September – 8pm

The relentlessly rhythmic and colourful sounds of Kokoroko have been captivating audiences around the London live scene for many years. Their intrepid horns, polyrhythmic percussion and Jazz arrangements coalesce to create one of the most unique and soul-lifting Afrobeat sounds around. This one is not to be missed, and to entice you in, we’ve teamed up with our pals at Rich Mix to giveaway two tickets to the show. Just subscribe to our newsletter, and we’ll pick a winner at random from our new subscribers in September. Or if you want to guarantee not to miss this show > cop your tickets here.

Inspired by the greats of West African music such as Fela Kuti and Tony Allen, the band simultaneously bring energy, atmosphere and a sense of escape to every live show.

Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road, London E1 6LA

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“Dissecting the Joke” – Backyard Comedy Club

Tuesday 18th September – 7:30pm – 10:30pm

Join the under-the-radar heroes at Backyard, for a night of comedy covering all things health and medicine. Contrary to popular belief (and lazy comedy writing) laughter isn’t the best medicine, but it will take your mind off the fact we’re all falling apart at the seams. An amazing lineup of comedians and doctors tell you everything you did (and didn’t) want to know about staying alive in the NHS. Below are a few of the lineup highlights – don’t miss this unique confluence of the hilarious and the biologically knowledgeable!

KWAME ASANTI

Nominee: Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer 2017

Kwame is a comedy writer and performer, who works as a Junior Doctor in the NHS.

OLGA KOCH

Nominee: Edinburgh Comedy Awards Best Newcomer 2018

Amused Moose National New Comic Award 2017 Finalist

Leicester Square New Comedian of the Year 2016 Finalist

STEVE CROSS

Steve is a geek comedian, presenter and producer. He is the founder of Science Showoff, Museums Showoff and Bright Club.

231 Cambridge Heath Rd, Bethnal Green, E2 0EL

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Feminist Fightback Filmclub – The Common House 

Join Feminist Fightback for their monthly film screening. Exhibiting anger/ joy during the film at oppressive behaviour/ high points of struggle is very much encouraged, so if you’re feeling like venting, this could be the evening for you. The group always has a discussion after the film, and drinks and snacks will be served too. For details of the film screening this month, search for ‘Feminist Fightback Film Club Presents…’ on Facebook, or email feminist.fightback@gmail.com to be added to the mailing list. There’s a lot of great stuff bubbling at TheCommon House – a real hidden E2 gem.

The Common House, Unit 5E, Pundersons Gardens, London E2 9QG

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Next in our Bethnal Greeners series is a new cafe offer on Cambridge Heath Road, The Beehive. Long term friends of Love Bethnal Green, it’s great to see this tasty offer emerge as the daily public face of Bethnal Green Mission Church. We caught up with Pastor Mike Houston, who told us a bit about past, present and future for The Beehive. We’re looking forward to working with Mike and the team more moving forward – look out for October collaborations…

Your history 

When Annie Macpherson, the founder of Bethnal Green Mission Church, started work in Bethnal Green in the 1860s, she wanted to offer hope, love and hospitality to those living in poverty and on the margins of Victorian society. She developed a ‘Home of Industry’, where homeless children could find not only shelter, warmth, and something to eat and drink, but also an opportunity to learn new skills. Her building was known locally as ‘The Beehive’, a place of ‘industry’ that became a noted feature of Bethnal Green Road, where people could encounter a welcoming and hospitable community. Hence, our name!

Your business

The Beehive forms part of the wider charitable work of BGMC. The Beehive is a café, community hub and co-working space providing high quality food, coffee, tea and welcome. It is a not-for-profit enterprise with a desire to use any money made to drive quality and to support and equip those from disadvantaged backgrounds through partnership and opportunity.

Your passion for the area

Like many organisations in Bethnal Green, we have been around a long time in different forms. The diversity and creativity of Bethnal Green with all its paradoxes and challenges continues to inspire us to work for the well-being of all.

Your offers

As a church and charity we hope that our new building will be a creative, accessible and welcoming hub and we are open to anybody using it. We are particularly passionate that high quality, locally made food and coffee should not be set a premium cost, so we have set all our hot and cold drinks, cakes and food at prices we think most people can access.

Your future 

We hope that the Beehive, alongside other projects and events running from the new BGMC building will add to the vibrancy and creativity that already exists in Bethnal Green and we look forward to partnering with others so the community can benefit from this space.

The Beehive can be found at 305 Cambridge Heath Road and is open every day of the week.

There are lots of ways that London Borough of Tower Hamlets supports local business, regardless of what stage of the entrepreneurial journey they are at.

LoveBethnalGreen.com wants to provide up to date information on what those offers are, and how you can access them, so please check back to this very section of LoveBethnalGreen.com, and we will keep it up to date with the latest offers.

Have a look below at the support that’s available, and click through to find out more;

Third Sector & Social Enterprise

Retail Marketing Ready

Supply Ready 

Good premises for business 

And if you aren’t sure what support will work best for you and your ideas, please fill out this form and someone from the Enterprise Team will be in touch.

If you would like to chat to someone at the Enterprise Team about anything you have read here, don’t hesitate to give them a call – 020 7364 2278

It’s time to gather together for another meeting of ‘The Green’.

We’re looking forward to discussing our part in Social Saturday with you – a Saturday in October that shines a light on social enterprises in the area. We’re looking to you to help us shape up plans for that.

Plus we’re looking forward to hearing from some new businesses in the area, & also we welcome guest speaker Hannah Arnett from Phytology, who will tell us about her work on the Urban Mind project.

We’ll be covering off the agenda below – join us, and if you can’t come, please share the meeting far and wide. We all get more out of these interactions when there are more voices in the room.

Please do come armed with updates on your business and your projects – we exist to promote your work, so please make use of LoveBethnalGreen.com.

AGENDA – Tuesday 14th August – 6pm – Oxford House 

1 – GUEST SPEAKER; Hannah Arnett from Bethnal Green Nature Reserve to introduce Urban Mind project to local businesses

2 – Hearing from new businesses in the area, joining us for the 1st time. 

3 – Confirmation of content strands for LoveBethnalGreen.com in support of Night Time Economy, Food Businesses, Retail Businesses + #E2ToDo

4 – Key Agenda Item; Discussing plans for Social Saturday, October 13^th 2018

5 – AOB

Next in our Bethnal Greeners series are good friends of LoveBethnalGreen, Phytology, who are on the site of Bethnal Green Nature Reserve. It’s an art led project exploring the function, and value of the modern urban landscape, established and led by local artist Michael Smythe and the board of trustees. (www.phytology.org.uk)

We caught up with Hannah Arnott to hear about her research into the Urban Mind project. Hannah is a key player with Phytology, and will be at Oxford House for the meeting of ‘The Green’ on  Tuesday 14^th August to discuss Urban Mind and its exploration of social inclusion and neighbourhood safety in the Bethnal Green area. 

Your history:

Phytology is located within Bethnal Green Nature Reserve, formally St Jude’s church before it was bombed in the Second World War. Since then, the local community have protected the land from development and in 2014 opened the successful Phytology medicine garden for local education and medicine harvesting.

Your business:

The Phytology medicinal garden provides free food and medicine. Phytology is running an Urban Mind community research project, exploring the physical and mental health benefits and challenges we all experience living in Tower Hamlets and modern cities globally.

Your passion for the area:

Bethnal Green is a vibrant and diverse neighbourhood with people connecting and experiencing with the area in many different ways. Our project wants to better understand and explore ways we can all make our neighbourhood feel safer and more inclusive.

Your offers:

Join the research project by downloading the Urban Mind app (www.urbanmind.info) and taking part in conversations on how to improve the local social environment. We invite people to participate in a group discussion at Phytology on 25^th August and 8^th September.

Your future:

You can help shape healthy and inclusive cities by being part of the community research, part of the international Urban Mind research project.

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

In our new series of longer conversations, ‘Bethnal Green; After Hours’, we’re shining a light on all of the fantastic businesses that make E2 such a vibrant place to be at night. The pubs, the clubs, the galleries, the restaurants & the bars – new & old – we’re blessed as an area with some hidden gems and some straight-up institutions that fly the flag for the ever changing, ever-beloved East End.

First up, we caught up with owner Paddy Walsh, from Cambridge Heath Road based music venue Redon. We’re lucky to have such a generous & knowledgeable music man in our midst – nice one, Paddy!