Grime to Green N17

Hi all, so we need to make an update because the Spacehive deadline is upon us and we won't be able to contact our backers after today. It was always going to be too big of a hole to fill without any funding from the Mayor of London but it hasn't stopped our determination to make this project still happen. We've been working on a plan B in the background which is going to be led by our newly formed non-profit organisation 'real crowd noise'. Massive thank you to all our backers. Your pledges will unfortunately be lost this time but we'd love to keep you updated with our progress as we may call on your support again, even just to help spread the word or maybe get involved in some events, workshops or painting. Please follow us @realcrowdnoise where we'll be sharing updates from now on.

We wanted to provide an update on the project. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful with any funding from the Mayor of London but we've been waiting to announce this until we'd received the formal feedback and worked out our next move. There were 120 projects with £2.5 million in total project fees so not all could have been successful, despite receiving positive feedback. The scorers felt we could have scored more points if we were to engage with the community through a workshop and/or event, so this is something we're taking into consideration for our plan B. We're left with a huge gap to fill to reach the Spacehive target and there's no doubt this will be a challenge before the May 11 deadline. However, this setback has only given us more drive; we're committed to making this project happen and we'll share details of plan B soon. Make sure you're following this project on Spacehive or @blankwallscollective on Instagram/Facebook for updates.

For those wondering why we've pledged to our own campaign, we want to be as transparent as possible; since launching, we've received discounts on materials, equipment hire and there is also not an essential need for the contingency, which was something we were unable to remove after initially submitting our project. So if we hit our target, we don't intend to keep this as profit but instead put it towards the project. We've had an incredible response so far, we're humbled by all the pledges, likes, comments and shares, so thank you and let's keep up the good work!

"The events of the past year have highlighted more than ever how important it is for us all to have access to green space. Somewhere for us to breathe fresh air, connect with nature, and find solace during difficult times." - via BBC News: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-56196275#comments We couldn't agree more. This is exactly why we need to make this project happen to raise awareness of the green spaces nearby and encourage people to get outside more! Thanks everyone for your incredible support so far!