Heritage across Newham has received a boost today after receiving support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a range of projects led by the Council and community organisations. The grants, totalling over £800,000 worth of investment right at the heart of the community, showcase the diverse and unique heritage on offer in the borough.
The projects will see historic buildings saved, nature restored in parks and the unique history of cycling shared by 95-year-old Newham local Ted. To mark the occasion, the Mayor of Newham, Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Taryn Nixon from the Heritage Fund and the team from Creative Land Trust and Purcell have visited Alice Billings House, one of the projects that will benefit from the investment.
Alice Billings House in Stratford is a Grade II listed building that was built in 1905 to provide accommodation for firemen from the West Ham Fire Brigade. The North Block, featuring a practice and hose drying tower, was added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register in 2019. After being vacant for over 10 years, Creative Land Trust has acquired the buildings and will bring them back to life with the help of renowned heritage architect Purcell.
The project, ‘Creating Futures at Alice Billings House’, will save the historic buildings and create a new bustling space that will bring creatives together. There will be studio space for around 80 artists and makers as well as a new exhibition space, community café, education programme and landscaped courtyard. This project is a great example of how historic buildings can be brought back to life to create a thriving space at the heart of the community.
Gemma Dean, Head of Development at Creative Land Trust said: “The brilliant thing about Alice Billings House is how it embodies so many facets of buildings, heritage and culture. With support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, not only are we protecting a historic building and all the stories that live there; we and our partners are delivering an exciting space for creative production, celebrating Newham’s culture and supporting the local economy.”
Liz Smith, Chair and Regional Partner at Purcell said: “Nowhere is this spirit of physical, social, cultural, and environmental restoration encapsulated more clearly than in the reimagining of Alice Billings House. It is an inspiring example of the Local Authority and the Creative Land Trust coming together to provide much-needed investment in local communities, to bring this significant building back into public use and we are delighted to have attained support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to realise the vision. We are thoroughly enjoying working with the Trust to deliver workspaces and affordable studios for artists and creatives to come together and grow with the building, continuing the story for the next generations.”
Newham has been an Area of Focus for the Heritage Fund since 2019. Heritage Fund staff have been working closely with Newham Council, key stakeholders and the local community to support heritage in the borough and create a thriving cultural scene. The commitment has seen an increase in grants being awarded to Newham organisations for heritage activities with first-time applicants. This includes participatory arts organisation Frames of Mind, who have recently received £44,400.
Their project, ‘Full Cycle’, will look at the cycling history of Forest Gate which was an important cycling epicentre in the late 19th century due to its proximity to Epping Forest. This unique heritage will be explored through the lens of Edward Ernest Etty, better known as Ted. At 95 years old, he has owned Etty & Tyler motor & cycle repair shop in Newham since the 1950s.
Ted has lived and worked in Newham most of his life and witnessed over 70 years of changing socio-political and cultural trends from a two-wheel perspective. The project will create a fascinating documentary film, ‘Mechanically Minded’ preserving Ted’s legacy.
Full-Cycle will use stop frame animation to explore cycling with primary school children and work with community groups and Newham Archives to capture anecdotes, photographs and memorabilia. This collection of fascinating material, intertwined with Ted’s stories, will inform an immersive ‘Full-Cycle QR bike trail’, celebrating local heritage and/whilst getting people peddling.
Ted said: “I’ve always been mechanically minded. Trends come and go, but the workings of the bicycle, have basically stayed the same. I’m really pleased that my stories will be preserved for good…and I’ve got a lot of them!”
Iconic Newham theatre, Stratford East, will launch an exciting project to celebrate its milestone birthday in 2024. The project, ‘140 Years of Stratford East’ has been awarded £238,108 to showcase its impact on British theatre and East London. Working with the community, they will uncover and share memories to help bring its history to life, preserving these stories for the future. They will deliver a range of engaging events and programmes as part of the project, as well as much-needed repairs to the auditorium.
Eleanor Lang, Executive Director of Stratford East, said: “Stratford East has been a part of the Newham community since 1884 and we’re incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for supporting our 140th celebrations and helping us to mark and preserve our history. We’re really looking forward to announcing more details about our plans in 2024.”
It is not just Newham’s buildings that are benefitting from investment. Newham Council has received initial support for a £1 million project to transform Forest Lane Park and offer somewhere the community can enjoy the benefits of the outdoors. The site is important for local biodiversity with 50% dedicated to letting nature thrive and thanks to the project, a new sensory garden and growing space will be created, aligning with the heritage of the park.
The project will also celebrate the pioneering work of local activist Lucel Tate. Sadly her statue was recently removed as it had rotted over time and become unsafe but it will be reinstated as part of the project and her story shared. Lucel worked in the maternity hospital in the 1970s which was in the former Industrial School building within the park. She was the first chair of the Hibiscus Caribbean Elderly Association and founder of the Hibiscus Community Centre. Her work focused on a move away from a ‘one size fits all’ approach to social care and housing based on her understanding of the specific needs of Afro-Caribbean elders in her community.
Taryn Nixon, Trustee of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Chair of its England, London & South Committee, said: “We have been working in Newham since 2019 as an Area of Focus, helping to unlock the borough’s amazing yet often hidden heritage. Thanks to National Lottery players, the funding has helped to forge new partnerships and bring a wide range of individuals and organisations together to celebrate their heritage, for now and for the future. The social and economic benefits of these heritage-led projects are truly far-reaching – they will have an impact not just throughout Stratford and Forest Gate but right across Newham.”
To date, the Heritage Fund has invested over £15 million into supporting Newham’s heritage. This includes Newham Heritage Month, Newham Poetry Club, Rosetta Arts and Plashet Park. Both the Alice Billings House and Forest Lane Park projects have received initial support from the Heritage Fund to progress their project plans to apply for a full grant at a later date. This could unlock a further £3.7 million of funding for the borough.
