Impact data and claims within this report are provided by the project creator and have not been independently verified by Spacehive.
We want to transform The Common Room to create a fully-functional learning space that offers cultural learning and knowledge sharing to better meet the needs of our diverse community.
The Common Room is a temporary structure built in 2014 in an un-loved corner of Roman Road. This fund is required to transform the existing structure to become a community learning and cultural space in partnership with several cultural and educational organisations and institutions. The structure will need new roofing, flooring, front extension, storage, and toilet. Once the space is built we will begin by developing Learning Programmes to focus on sustaining healthy high streets and providing training in Community Organising to local groups. We will also create Cultural Programmes in collaboration with local institutions to reflect our diverse local community.
What we'll deliver:
Why it's a great idea:
This project is a great idea as a place that can build interest in community engagement and organising. It aims for local residents to have an active role in shaping and impacting their neighbourhood and ensure the high street becomes a vibrant environment outside its pure purpose of consumption. Its programme will enable people to relate to the rich social history of the area through their own stories to foster a sense of belonging. Once this space is recreated to become functional and use-able throughout the year we can deliver an exciting cultural and educational programme, uniquely specific to neighbourhoods in and around the Roman Road. Collaborations would mean we can support artists running events at The Common Room, as well as talks and workshops that deliver informal learning. Formal short courses for those interested in social enterprises and community projects will be delivered in collaboration with our university partners and School For Civic Action.
Steps to get it done:
We intend for the programme offered in The Common Room to continually evolve to suit the needs, desires, and interests of local people. However, to begin, the focus will be threefold: 1 - Knowledge and learning on sustaining healthy high streets 2 - Learning programme on Community Organising to support and work with Roman Road Trust to deliver democratic and fit for purpose programmes 3 - Cultural programmes which will initially draw upon the radical history of the area but will move to draw upon the current cultural offering to reflect our diverse local community
Gallery
Location Tower Hamlets
About the space
Roman Road Common Room, Ford Road, E3 5NS (behind Santander cycles, next to Car Park.)
Council
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Journey
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We're absolutely over the moon to announce that construction for The Common Room has begun! Our builders broke ground last week and the groundworks are well under way. It is so exciting to see the transformation of The Common Room taking shape! We’d like to thank everyone for their continued support and patience. We’ll keep you updated as the construction continues – but feel free to pop down and have a peek. For more info take a look at: https://romanroadtrust.co.uk/the-common-room-news/
Did you know..? The (old) Common Room has now been demolished! The brilliant people from Wates Group paid a visit to Roman Road to demolish and take away the old structure. This is a huge step forward in the transformation of The Common Room as this means the site is now clear for works to begin. Any reusable timber from the old structure was donated to Roman Road Adventure Playground and Abbey Gardens in Stratford — the old Common Room lives on! Check out the video to see the demolition...
Do you have a skill or secret talent to share with your community? Perhaps you are a keen gardener or an amazing cook? Or maybe you are a whizz with technology or have a passion for local history? Whatever it is, we want to hear from you! You don’t have to be an expert, just interested in giving back to your local community. Roman Road Trust invites you to one of our Neighbourhood Curriculum workshops on Wednesday 6th October or Wednesday 20th October. These workshops are an opportunity for local people to come forward and let us know what you can bring to The Common Room. The sessions will be facilitated by Roman Road Trust and Torange Khonsari from Public Works. The workshops aim to be fun and relaxed. This is a chance for you to begin thinking about how you can be involved in The Common Room once it is built. There will be cake too! 🍰 Find out more and how to book your free place: https://romanroadtrust.co.uk/neighbourhood-curriculum-workshops/
A big hello to all our supporters! Here’s what we’ve been up to… Following our Facade Design Workshops in February, the ceramicists have created an amazing, unique design for the facade that will represent our brilliant neighbourhood. In June, we renovated furniture for The Common Room at DIY DEMOS as part of Chisenhale Dance's Encounter Bow Festival. Thanks to all those who came along to help sand a table and decorate a bench! In August, we’ve been out and about on Roman Road Market and will be popping up at local events in September. Keep an eye out for us and feel free to say hello! Alongside all of this we’ve been quietly making preparations for The Common Room build, including getting all the legal arrangements in place and starting important parts of the build process. Costs in the construction industry are currently very high, and so we are also in the process of raising some additional funds before we start the build itself to make sure that we can complete it fully. Remember to sign up to our mailing list for more regular updates and local news: https://romanroadtrust.co.uk/become-friend-roman-road/
You're invited! Residents are warmly invited to help co-design the facade of The Common Room at a Facade Design Workshop on Sunday 7th February, 11.00am-12.30pm. The front (or facade) of The Common Room will include handmade ceramic tiles. The design, colour and glaze of the tiles will be inspired by our local community - that's you! Join us to collaborate with other local residents to design a facade for The Common Room that represents our neighbourhood. Check our socials or copy this link to book your free place. Families welcome! http://romanroadtrust.co.uk/facade-design-workshop-residents/
Roman Around the Christmas Tree is this Saturday 5th December from 12-3pm. Swing by the Christmas Tree outside Idea Store Bow to chat to us about how The Common Room is progressing and find out what the New Year holds for the project. We'll also be placing handmade decorations from local schools onto the tree. Exciting! We'd love you to say hello but please remember to follow social distancing guidelines to keep our community safe.
We are very excited for our first market stall for Transform The Common Room! Roman Road Trust & Public Works will be outside the Idea Store Bow from 12-2pm this Sat 10th Oct. Pop by to find out what's next for The Common Room and how you can be involved. We'd love to speak to you. Please remember to follow social distancing guidelines whilst at our stall - thank you!
We have put together the names of all our 252 brilliant backers into one image...can you spot your name!? Spacehive will be collecting your amazing pledge in the next couple of days which means we are one giant step closer to transforming The Common Room. Exciting! Find out what's next and take a closer look at the image here: romanroadtrust.co.uk/spot-your-name/
We did it! It has been one week since we reached our target (and beyond) to Transform The Common Room. You helped us finish with an amazing total of £81,721 and 253 backers. Thank you to each and every person, business, and organisation who has pledged, shared, and supported our project to Transform The Common Room. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and determination shown by our local community as well as those from beyond Roman Road. Thank you. We are now busy finalising the important details and preparing for the build to begin. Please sign up to our newsletter, follow our journey on social media, and watch our Thank You Video here: http://romanroadtrust.co.uk/transform-the-common-room-reaches-target/ Thank you for being a part of something amazing. We look forward to welcoming you into The Common Room in 2021.
How will the money be spent?Total £74,105
Costs Breakdown
This shows how money raised for the project will be spent. These costs have been confirmed by the project's Delivery Manager and verified.
Overfunding
This project is enabled for overfunding. If the project hits its funding goal before the end of the campaign period, any extra funds raised will be spent (in order of priority) on:
Total £74,105
Our Volunteer List
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VolunteerThe Common Room is a collaborative project between the local community organisation Roman Road Trust and design and cultural organisation Public Works.
The Roman Road Trust is a local community organisation contributing to the improvement of Roman Road for the benefit of residents and regular visitors. Roman Road Trust works to support the high street, its independent businesses, as well as community projects and groups. Roman Road Trust previously initiated Bow Her Story and Living in Bow. Both being local heritage projects to celebrate and raise awareness of the rich local heritage surrounding Roman Road.
Public Works is a not-for-profit critical design and cultural practice set up in 2004 working across disciplins of architecture, art and performance and community engagement.
They re-work the city’s opportunities towards citizen-driven development and nurturing citizen’s rights over the city. They create long sustained relationships that build commonality, trust and enable co-authorship. Their outputs are not limited to buildings or art objects.They include discursive events, research, campaigns, urban strategies, participatory art and architecture across all scales. In this project their initiative 'The School For Civic Action' will play a key role after the new building is built.
Project Owner: Roman Road Trust The Project Owner takes legal responsibility for receiving and spending the funds raised and ensuring the project is delivered.
Contractor: Office for Crafted Architecture The team responsible for building or installing the project.
