At risk LGBTQ+ venue designated community asset

Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club (BGWMC) has been designated an Asset of Community Value by Tower Hamlets Council, granting locals a 'right to bid' if the building goes up for sale.

The LGBTQ+ performance space has been at risk of closure after its owners revealed plans to sell the club as soon as possible and asked the venue's programming team to vacate the premises in July.

The council’s decision comes in response to an application made by community group Friends of Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club and grants them up to six months to fundraise for a bid.  

The performers' union Equity, which supported the application, said it is currently negotiating with the owners of BGWMC, who have expressed a willingness to allow a community purchase, to extend the fundraising period.

Nick Keegan, Equity Variety Organiser, says:  “The decision to protect Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club as an Asset of Community Value is fantastic news and a crucial step towards saving the club.

"The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has rightly recognised BGWMC for what it is – a pillar of London’s nightlife ecosystem, a vital workplace for Equity members, and an important part of the queer and local community.  

“The response to this campaign so far has been phenomenal. Everyone who signed the petition, turned up to the rally or spread the word has played their part in this positive outcome. However, the campaign has not been won yet – raising the funds to purchase BGWMC for the community will be a mammoth task.”