Mayor Backs Innovative Plans For West Ealing

'Cultural Community Quarter' given financial boost

Mandie Wilde (OPEN EALING) and Katie Peploe ( ECIL)

The London Mayor has given his support to a campaign aimed at helping regenerate West Ealing.

OPEN Ealing which delivers art and cultural events has joined forces with Ealing Centre for Independent Living (ECIL) to create the beginnings of a 'Cultural Community Quarter'.

The initial idea is to rent a vacant shop on West Ealing Broadway and turn it into a joint venture, part retail and part community arts hub.

The shop - the first of its kind in the area - would sell mobility equipment which has been refurbished and upcycled on site by a team of apprentices who are clients of ECIL, it would aim to help cutback on the multitudes of equipment that ends up in landfill.

The 'Wellbeing Cultural Quarter' as it's being known will also offer a wide range of art activities accessible to all.

In order to get the Mayor's backing the project needed to get at least 100 backers and Mandie Wilde from OPEN Ealing and Katie Peploe from ECIL have been campaigning to achieve this.

Last night at a gathering of #Ealingtweetup (Ealing twitter users) they announced the good news.

Michael Greer introducing Katie Peploe and Mandie Wilde

Mandie says '' We received a pledge of £15,000 taking our total raised to over 60% of target - YAY! In our feedback they said they particularly liked the recycling/refurbing/upcycling of mobility equipment and finding a use for it rather than sending it to landfill. The team also liked the fact that two organisations so different on the face of it had come together, found common ground and started such a dynamic initiative.''

The project is well on its way but sponsors and funding is still needed you can support the project here on the Spacehive platform

The full financial target needs to be met by 17 December.

October 31st 2018