COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IN CREATIVE MAKING AT 48 ABERFELDY STREET, POPLAR, AUGUST 2021

At our core is a membership scheme affordable to all, that gives residents a voice in the running of this Foundation, guiding us through decision making and direction. We are in the process of setting up a simple online application process, that will incorporate a Baseline Survey to inform us going forward, as to what is most needed now on the Aberfeldy estate where Tommy Flowers was himself born and raised. Collated responses will be shared amongst the Membership and Trustees, as to the focus of our future ambitions for the area, made visible through demonstrated need.

Since lockdown has eased, we have opened up the long empty former Post Office at 48 Aberfeldy Street, Poplar as a Making Space, offering  a modular unit to emerging as-yet-unincorporated local organisations such as The Wild Women Collective/East India Over 50’s Consortium, ShumGhostJohn and Young Blood Initiative, as well as established institutions moving into the area such as London College of Fashion and Poplar Works, to trial new ideas of public engagement.

Using support from The Mayor's Cultural Team at City Hall as a Make London grant and match-funding from Tower Hamlets Innovation Fund, we have already delivered creative learning opportunities including six glassblowing sessions to 185 local people, waste cardboard upcycling workshops to 40 more and engaged 300 people to learn origami to improve wellbeing in group activities.

With further support from the Bright Ideas Fund from Power To Change we are set up to greatly increase our reach and maximise our impact on social change.

October 2021.