Supporters launch fighting fund to save Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

Fans of the Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club have launched a ‘fighting fund’ to save the iconic venue.

The club, commonly known BGWMC, needs funds to pay for a planning bid to Tower Hamlets Council with a view to purchasing the property where it is located.

This will require a full chartered survey and valuation of the building, as well as the planning application costs which will put vital protections on the building.

Set up by Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (FoBGWMC), a community group comprised of locals, performers, programmers and trade union members and others, the crowdfunder appeal aims to raise £12,000 by 8 April.

An extended target of £18,000 will allow FoBGWMC to develop a robust business plan with financial projections and cover all consultancy and accountancy costs.

Since 2001, the BGWMC has thrived as a venue for cabaret, drag, comedy and LGBTQ+ performance.

During that time it has been a springboard for some of the UK’s most successful producers and stars of stage and screen, including Paloma Faith, Tom Allen, Sean Lock, Bimini and Ginger Johnson (winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK).

It has also provided the backdrop for Netflix series Baby Reindeer as well as Liam Gallagher music videos.

The club’s current troubles date back to June of last year, when it was handed an eviction notice, whereupon Equity, the performing arts and entertainment trade union, launched a successful online petition urging the BGWMC committee to halt plans to close the venue.

In August, BGWMC was designated an Asset of Community Value by Tower Hamlets Council, and in January of this year a ‘Certificate of Lawfulness’ was issued by the council, confirming the venue as a cabaret theatre, bar and nightclub space.

Commenting on FoBGWMC’s future plans, Equity’s Variety Organiser, Nick Keegan, says: “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.”

Those who donate to the fund can be rewarded with BGWMC merchandise, such as an A3 print of the club by the artist Lawrence Brand for donations above £70, BGWMC beers mats for donations above £30, and a Save BGWMC campaign postcard for donations above £20. 

To make a donation, visit:www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-bgwmc. BGWMC is still open for business, and you can also support the club bybooking tickets here: www.workersplaytime.net.