Petition to save Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club nears target of 5,000 signatures
The campaign to save the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club is looking for one last push, as a petition to protect the venue closes in on their goal of obtaining 5,000 signatures.
The petition, supported by performing arts trade union Equity, is an open letter to Tower Hamlet’s Mayor Lutfur Rahman, asking him to reconsider his support for the cultural popular venue and community space that hosts LGBT+ events.
The Council has placed a restriction on the site so that it can only be used for cultural events, saying that “any proposed development which would not retain the existing cultural venue (along with its important LGBT+ focus) would not be supported.”
However, the club is calling on the council to purchase the site and lease it back to their organisation in order to ensure its long-term viability.
The Pollard Row establishment has a history that dates back 130 years, having existed in numerous different incarnations, most recently as a nightlife venue with legendary cabaret, burlesque and drag shows.