Brentford Gate Footbridge

Dear All Thank you for your support and pledging money to our bridge project. As you will be aware we did not meet our target for crowdfunding. We did though attract over 100 pledges from individuals who supported our bridge proposal. Given this, the Bridge action group has been reviewing how we can continue to take work on the bridge forward. We have reviewed our strategy and still believe there is a strong case for the bridge and also a lot of support. We have made a bid to Hounslow Council for some of the £59m Section 106 / Community Infrastructure Levy raised in Brentford. We also plan to speak to local developers to see if they will contribute to the cost of the bridge. While not the reason for building the bridge, similar bridge projects assume property values increase by 5% form such constructions. So it would be in developers own commercial interest to help build the bridge. We continue to speak to Kew Gardens, who continue to be positive about the bridge. Kew Gardens would be particularly interested if Office and / or Student accommodation were available near where bridge lands. This could be a good opportunity for Brentford as well. We are in the process now of setting up a Community Interest Company as a vehicle to take the work of the bridge forward. In due course we will look to convert this into a charity, but is quicker and simpler t set up at this stage, As you will probably be aware, Pledges from Crowdfunding will not be collected. But if anyone would like to donate you pledge, we would be very grateful and it would give us a little working capital to help promote the bridge. We will post details of the account once we have set up the CIC. Thanks again on behalf of all members of the action group for all your support – and hope you will continue to support us in the future. Innes Garden Chairman Brentford Gate Bridge Action Group

Welcome to the Brentford Gate Bitcoin Bridge! We are looking at innovative ways to fund our bridge. So we are accepting donations using Bitcoin. Lets face it, Bitcoin does not always have a good reputation – lots of people associate with money laundering etc. So here is an opportunity to create a good news story for Bitcoin. You might say it will help bridge Bitcoin's credibility gap! (Sorry!) More information is available on other pages on our website. In short we are looking to create a new bridge across the Thames linking the historic town of Brentford with Kew (adjacent to the World Heritage Site at Kew Gardens). Thus creating a new open space with associated health, transport environmental – and business benefits. If you would like to use Bitcoin to support the Brentford Gate Footbridge then please use the following wallet address: - 1Cugc8t1JsNsQMzE891yNSMLA7Woo9QP1h Alternatively go to our website funding page – http://www.brentfordgate.co.uk/help-fund-us/

As you may know we bid for up to £50,000 form the Mayor Crowdfund London campaign to help with crowdfunding our bridge. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to secure funding from Crowdfund London. It was always going to be a big ask, with the all the other various Thames Bridges being so much in the news (for the wrong reasons), and we faced very tough competition from others. But the quality of our bid was recognised and it was a useful in helping to ensure we had developed suitable plans and control frameworks in place. We will still be continuing with our Crowdfunding request, and with help from Julia Quilliam are planning a big mail-shot campaign over the next week. We will also be applying to Hounslow Council for S106/CIL funding. Any suggestions you have to help would be welcome. Getting everything in place to build our bridge was always going to be a big task. We have though found enormous support and almost everyone we have spoken to is supportive whether private individuals, local officials or business representatives. Your support and that of others is vital to our success, very gratifying and we very much welcome that so far. We plan to continue to make the bridge a reality. Please help spread the word, like our Facebook page and tell friends and colleagues and get people to pledge on our Crowdfunding page.

Sorry if I have been distracted this week - but my son got married last Friday at Syon House. Hence the picture - as well as being a pleasant change form a bridge! But does show how we could link some great sites together via the bridge! Our Crowdfunding continues apace. This week the Mayor for London decides what projects he is going to support through Crowdfund London. We could get up to £50,000 to help our project. One of the criteria is a show of local support, so if you support, please go on to our Crowdfunding site and pledge support. Every little helps. We are also attending an Infrastructure Hounslow event this week, where up to £300,000 is available for local infrastructure from funds developers have to contribute to. We will be pitching for our bit. We also have a meeting with Kew Gardens Director of Corporate Services this week. Kew has been very support of our proposed bridge and we hope to be able to work with them to mutual benefit. On Sunday we plan to be at Brentford Market. Look out for us there and come over for a chat and update. Nice to meet supporters face to face. Last week we had a good meting with Stephen Fry – leader of Hounslow Chamber of Commerce. ‎As well as empathising the commercial benefits of the bridge it also raised interesting issues about the ferry service that used to run where we plan our bridge. It may even be there are rights in existing leases – and possibly even some monies for a crossing in a Livery Company in the City of London, The things you learn in the course of such a project! Please keep supporting us and spread the word.