Crowdfunder opens for Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

A crowdfunding campaign aiming to secure the future of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (BGWMC) has opened.

The Grade-II listed east London building, a famous part of London’s LGBTQ+ nightlife that regularly hosts live performances, was handed a two month eviction notice in June last year, before protests helped avoid the eviction.

The venue was then designated an asset of community value by Tower Hamlets Council last August, before a planning application by union Equity and community group Friends of BGWMC garnered a certification of lawfulness from the council last month.

Friends of BGWMC have now opened the crowdfunder to lay the groundwork for a community purchase.

The campaign says £12,000 needs to be raised in the next six weeks to pay for a full chartered survey and valuation of the building, as well as the planning application costs. An extended £18,000 target would allow Friends of BGWMC to develop a business plan for the venue, covering all consultancy and accountancy costs.

Friends of BGWMC are hoping the campaign will lead to either the council purchasing the club and leasing it back to the group, or will see the council allowing the group to purchase the club themselves.

“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,” said Equity’s variety organiser, Nick Keegan.

“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.”