Illuminate Rotherhithe!

Great article in Thames Guardian magazine - take a look!2 months ago

Following on from my last update, a few of us met recently with the editor of the River Thames Society’s magazine – the Thames Guardian - to talk through what is being planned in Rotherhithe during 2020. Please take a moment to copy and paste this link into your web browser and take a look at the final version of the article! https://bit.ly/2Thc3ui (sorry –clickable links aren’t possible on Spacehive). As you can see the editor has done a pretty good job. She has asked me to keep her posted on other developments being planned in Rotherhithe over the coming months so that she can flag them up in their news pages in the next issue. This article will appear in the March edition of the magazine, which went to press last Monday 24 February. The print run of the Thames Guardian is 7800, of which 5800 go to the estate agents Waterview – the magazine sponsors - for mailing to riverside properties along the length of the Thames. 2000 copies are sent to River Thames Society members who are based all along the river from the source to the sea, as well as to riparian MPs, to relevant Ministers, to various river bodies, and for distribution at events along the river. So this article represents really excellent coverage of what we are trying to achieve! Huge thanks for your continued support for this exciting legacy lighting project – more news very soon! Clare and the project team

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Thames Clippers press release!3 months ago

first page of press release now attached...

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Thames Clippers supports Rotherhithe Illuminated!3 months ago

Fantastic news - Thames Clippers have supported us with a generous donation towards the installation of this legacy lighting scheme, and the joint press announcement was released this afternoon! They also posted a brilliant piece about the project in their enewsletter which was sent out last Friday 7 February to all the 102K+ individuals on their database. There will also be a piece in the March edition of the Thames Guardian about us and about various Mayflower 400 events being planned in Rotherhithe during the course of this 400th Mayflower year. Watch this space for further exciting announcements!! Clare and the project team

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Podcast interview with the project team! and Festive Greetings5 months ago

Last Monday we recorded an interview with Steve Lazarus, the Founder & Host of the Your London Legacy podcast. Steve is doing a special Mayflower 400 season, and the interview with us is the fourth and final part of this mini-series. The link to the interview is www.yourlondonlegacy.com/rotherhithe - we hope you enjoy it! As you know from my recent posts we are now in the very final stages of the feasibility study, and we're still hoping to be able to fundraise enough to ensure that this legacy lighting scheme can be installed before July 2020 when the main Mayflower commemorations in Rotherhithe will take place. Fingers crossed and watch this space! In the meantime very best wishes for Christmas and for the New Year 2020, and thank you again for your generous support. Clare and the project team.

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Presentation 29th October : Progress Report!6 months ago

Following on from my last post, the presentation last Tuesday 29 October was a great success and was well attended – more than 40 people came along! It was clear that there is real enthusiasm out there for what we are trying to achieve with this exciting legacy lighting project. So now we will continue to work flat out on fundraising for the cost of the installation of the scheme, in the hope that it will be possible to install it in the spring before the main Mayflower 400 commemorations in Rotherhithe kick off in July next year. It was noted by attendees that the credentials of the contributors and the quality of the feasibility work has been and is very high – we are really lucky to be working with such committed and expert professionals! During the presentation it was explained why such lighting schemes are widely accepted as valuable community assets, with examples from around the country. The Rotherhithe proposal was put in the context of the Illuminated River project, for which it is in some ways an eastward extension. (As you know the Illuminated River Foundation, in conjunction with the Rothschild Foundation, have given this scheme their generous backing, as have the Mayor of London, the Port of London Authority and City Cruises). Details were given of the desired warm-white lighting effects (“see the buildings, not the lights”) and the low-profile / low-energy / low-maintenance equipment to be used. The realisation of the vision for each part of the scheme was explained using computer-generated images, and these were then demonstrated with photographs taken during lighting trials on the actual buildings and statues. There were a few specific and interesting questions raised during the Q&A at the end, but it was clear that any doubts some members of the audience had had were addressed by the material presented. Several other audience members just wanted to express their support. Everyone was reminded that key elements of three of the buildings to be illuminated will be visible from London Bridge as well as from Tower Bridge, and mention was made of the broader context of Rotherhithe’s historical links to ‘The River Thames (and the Seas Beyond)’. More localised consultations will be taking place soon to seek the necessary consents. As you know we are fundraising for the £108,000 needed for the installation of this legacy lighting scheme, and various philanthropic organisations are being approached for support. The aim is to have everything in place by July next year ready for the Mayflower 400 commemorations and then for many more years into the future. Finally, I’ve posted a pic of the softly illuminated church spire and clock, which was taken during the lighting trials on 24 September. They show you what the illuminations on this element of the lighting scheme would look like every evening after dusk for the next 30+ years. If you weren’t able to join us on Tuesday evening please do let us know at SE16.RI@gmail.com if you have any questions for us. In the meantime don’t forget that you can support us by donating via https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rotherhithe-illuminated - every single £ will help us reach our target! Huge thanks once again for your support and your enthusiasm. Clare and the project team

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Your Invitation Reminder!!7 months ago

Following on from my last message, the presentation event on the Rotherhithe Illuminated! legacy lighting project will take place on Tuesday 29th October at 6:30pm in Brunel’s Grand Entrance Hall, Railway Avenue, SE16 4LF. The session will be introduced by the Chair of the What’s on Rotherhithe / Our Rotherhithe community group, Richard Kalmar. This will be followed by a briefing from Sarah Khan, the conservation architect who is project managing the feasibility study for us. Then there will be a 30-minute presentation by Ryan Slessenger, our lighting engineer/designer, followed by a short presentation by Sarah Yates, the Independent Researcher and Curator who is advising us on the educational aspects and interpretation of the scheme. The session will conclude with Q&A which will be facilitated by Sarah Khan, and we will finish up with drinks and networking. If you are able to join us please RSVP to se16.ri@gmail.com if you haven’t already, so that we can make sure there is enough seating, glasses etc. Btw like all old buildings it is sometimes a bit chilly down in Brunel’s Shaft on a winter’s night, so if you are coming along please remember to wrap up warm! We really hope that you can make it and we are looking forward to seeing you on 29th October. Clare and the project team

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Lighting demo and invitation!8 months ago

Yesterday evening - Tuesday 24 September - the project team got together after dark for the lighting demo on each of the buildings. It was really exciting to see the project begin to come alive at long last, and the internal illumination of the St Mary's church rotunda, and the soft illumination of the spire rising above it, really did have the “wow” factor. We could actually see the internal architectural decoration inside the rotunda, which is not normally visible. We have now organised the presentation and briefing on this lighting project, to which all our 200+ supporters are invited. It will take place on Tuesday 29th October at 6:30pm in Brunel's Grand Entrance Hall, Railway Avenue, SE16 4LF. We do hope that you will be able to join us! If you have any questions just email us on SE16.RI@gmail.com And if you or anyone you know would like to help us turn this lovely vision into reality, we have set up a justgiving page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/rotherhithe-illuminated. Every single £ will help us reach our target and ensure that this legacy lighting scheme is installed and ready to go by July 2020, when the key commemorations to mark the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from Rotherhithe will take place. Hope to see you on 29th October! Clare and the project team

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Update + more great news!8 months ago

First of all, we have just learned that a private individual has very generously donated £10K towards the installation of the lighting scheme next year, on the strict condition that they remain anonymous. This is brilliant news! As per my last post the feasibility study continues to go really well, and now that the holiday season is over we have a project team meeting with our professional partners scheduled for 13 September. Further meetings are planned with the reps of all the historic buildings over the next few weeks, and at our September meeting we will be agreeing a date for the public presentation of the lighting scheme in late October. I will of course let you know as soon as the date and the venue for this presentation have been confirmed. We are now working with a new professional partner who provides fundraising support for community projects. They are currently researching the most likely realistic sources of funding for this legacy lighting scheme and they will help us prepare tailored letters of application. We will pay them 5% commission on any grants they secure for us, but there is zero cost to us if they fail to secure us any funding. Finally, don't forget that if you have any questions, or if anyone you know would like to pledge support for this exciting community-led lighting scheme, you / they can email us on SE16.RI@gmail.com. Every single £ will help us reach our target and ensure that this exciting community-led scheme is installed and ready to go by July 2020! Clare and the campaign team

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Update + great news10 months ago

The feasibility study is going really well and our professional partners continue to work hard in the background on our behalf. There are further meetings planned with the reps of all the buildings over the next couple of months, and we will soon be in a position to confirm a date in October for the public presentation of the lighting scheme. In the meantime the Port of London Authority (PLA) has made a very generous pledge of support for our project, which is wonderful news! They say that they recognise the importance of highlighting these local landmarks in preparation for the Mayflower celebrations next year and as a legacy of this event. There are several other potential new backers in the pipeline, so please keep your fingers crossed for us. And don't forget that if you have any questions, or if anyone you know would like to pledge support for this exciting community-led lighting scheme, you / they can email us on SE16.RI@gmail.com. Every single £ will help us reach our target and ensure that the scheme is installed and ready to go by July 2020! More news soon.... Clare and the campaign team.

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Update!11 months ago

It's ages since I posted an update but there has been lots going on in the background! We now have the very comprehensive 25-page report which has been prepared for us by the independent researcher/curator I mentioned in my last post. This document focuses on the scoping for the historic interpretation/interactive elements of the lighting scheme, and based on this report I am meeting with the team this coming Friday for a brainstorm to agree on what we want the educational elements of the scheme to incorporate. Once we have agreed the way forward we will be meeting again with our professional partners in early July to discuss next steps. We are in serious fundraising mode now and have started pitching to key individuals, corporates and philanthropic donors. Please let us know if any of your contacts or associates might be willing to help us turn this vision into reality by donating towards the cost of the installation of the lighting project next spring. They can contact us on SE16.RI@gmail.com. As you know every single pledge of support, however small, will help us reach our target by 30 March next year in time to coincide with the Mayflower 400 celebrations/commemorations which will be going on in Rotherhithe in July 2020! Thank you once again for your support so far - onwards and upwards! Clare

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Illuminate Rotherhithe!

Illuminate Rotherhithe!

Illuminate Rotherhithe!

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