LHBT set to transform the pilot project into a permanent installation
An exciting community project at the historic Petticoat Lane is celebrating after securing nearly £60,000 of funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Council. The Petticoat Lane Heritage Trail project will be led by London Historic Buildings Trust (LHBT) working with participatory design studio, make:good. Collaborating with members of the community and local organisations, the project will focus on championing the dynamic and diverse heritage of this fascinating part of East London.
Although the street name ‘Petticoat Lane’ no longer exists, it continues to colloquially represent the area around Wentworth Street and Middlesex Street and is synonymous with the centuries-old textiles market that is still held there on a weekly basis.
From the remains of an Elizabethan Theatre to the home of a pioneering British-Bangladeshi reformer, Ayub Ali Master, there are tangible, and intangible, reminders of the many different communities that have made Petticoat Lane their home or livelihood over the centuries. Social reform, rebellion, immigration and sanctuary are recurring themes of the area’s history.
The project has received £31,498 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to Lottery players, and £28,430 from S106 money distributed by Tower Hamlets Council.
This funding follows an initial pilot project led by LHBT to develop the concept of a heritage trail in the area. Four local people came on board to explore the heritage and history of Petticoat Lane that was of interest to them and that they felt should be shared. This pilot project culminated in a temporary Trail in the form of stickers around the streets.
The new project will build upon this pilot, creating a more detailed Trail with both physical and digital versions. There will be more opportunities for local people to get involved in directing the Trail content and contributing to the Trail’s design, as well as paid roles in research, photography, and oral history. Throughout the project LHBT will be working closely with local organisations, Toynbee Hall – a social welfare charity – and Streets of Growth – a youth intervention charity. A suite of KS1 and KS2 school resources will also be created and a series of training workshops to support others undertaking their own community heritage project will be held at the close of the project in spring 2025.
Notes to Editors
About The National Lottery Heritage Fund
As the largest dedicated funder of the UK’s heritage, The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future as set out in our strategic plan, Heritage 2033.
Over the next ten years, the Heritage Fund aims to invest £3.6billion raised for good causes by National Lottery players to bring about benefits for people, places and the natural environment.
The Heritage Fund helps protect, transform and share the things from the past that people care about, from popular museums and historic places, our natural environment and fragile species, to the languages and cultural traditions that celebrate who we are.
The Heritage Fund is passionate about heritage and committed to driving innovation and collaboration to make a positive difference to people’s lives today, while leaving a lasting legacy for future generations to enjoy.
Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund www.heritagefund.org.uk.
About the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and S106
Tower Hamlets Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is based at the Town Hall in Whitechapel Road, which was once the former Royal London Hospital building.
Tower Hamlets is one of the 10 most improving Councils in the country. It has Investors in People status and Level 5 (the highest level) of the Equality Standard.
The Council deals with everything from schools to care of older people, from roads to rubbish, libraries and local planning.
Section 106 is money collected by the council from developers through the planning process. This money is used to improve the area where the building is taking place. It can include paying for things like new schools or health centres, upgrades to Parks or investing in affordable housing.
The London Historic Buildings Trust works with Historic England, local authorities and other partners and building owners to find innovative and sustainable ways to bring new life to London’s historic buildings, supporting local regeneration and helping communities thrive. LHBT aims to ensure that its projects are informed by the needs of a local community and result in positive social change and sensitive regeneration, as well as training, learning, volunteering and employment opportunities. It also works to support local people in their aspirations to safeguard local buildings, offering professional guidance through training and consultancy services. The London Historic Buildings Trust recently celebrated its 30th anniversary year. It was set up in 1992 as the Heritage of London Trust Operations Ltd (HOLTOP) and was rebranded in 2019. www.londonhistoricbuildings.org.uk / X @LHBTrust / Facebook @LondonHistoricBuildings / Instagram @london.historic.buildings
make:good is an East-London based architecture and design studio involving people in shaping neighbourhood change. They believe in meaningful processes of local participation, bringing people together to collaborate on the future of an area and its built environment. make:good use their creative expertise to co-design local solutions as well as effectively communicate ideas and share insight. They encourage open dialogue, harness local assets, build relationships and support communities to create lasting social infrastructure in places.
