The Fore Street For All community project, supported by Enfield Council is set to be the beneficiary of funding from the Mayor’s £4 million High Streets for All Challenge.High Streets for All aims to deliver enhanced public spaces and exciting new uses for underused high street buildings alongside London's diverse communities. The announcement coincided with an inaugural evening of cultural pop-up events (9 December) hosted at a number of venues along Fore Street including Steel Pan music, live caricature with Amaechi Emmanuel Anolu, an exhibition by artist Tahira Tofa, screen-printing sessions, and more.The free cultural events were organised by Fore Street For All, a community led approach to creative enterprise and cultural programming. This local team is led by residents, community group REACT with support from Artist Hive Studios and Fisher Cheng, and in close collaboration with Enfield Council.
Speaking on behalf of the Fore Street For All team, Yuting Cheng of Fisher Cheng, said: "It was wonderful to see the inaugural Thursday Lates event on Fore Street so well attended and enjoyed by the community, following the preparation and hard work of the team over the past few months. The event was the final piece of our bid for the Mayor of London High Streets for All Challenge, which we recently found out was successful in receiving £200,000 in revenue funding. We are thrilled to be able to take this to the next stage in developing a community-led cultural programme as part of the vital night-time activation of Fore Street."
The plans are for Fore Street For All to support current plans for the area that are already being actioned by Enfield Council and the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund, a £1.1 million high street regeneration project.
The Good Growth Fund Fore Street project comprises of an 'urban room' for community engagement, the creation of low-cost office and retail space in disused garages and a laundry yard, and improvements in targeted areas along Fore Street.
Enfield Council's Leader, Cllr Nesil Caliskan said: “This funding will give our town centres a shot in the arm after the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Our vision is to turn our town centres into vibrant and energetic destinations offering culture and art fused with a fantastic retail offer and a solid employment base, making them an attractive proposition for workers, residents and visitors to the borough.
“Enfield Council is delivering a long-term programme of major regeneration works in Upper Edmonton, and the community in Angel is central to those plans. By boosting employment and skills opportunities and creating a vibrant hub for the arts and culture to thrive, we can improve the quality of life for all and boost life chances for all the community.”
Deputy Mayor for Planning, Regeneration and Skills, Jules Pipe, said: “The Mayor and I are committed to ensuring our high streets can flourish and thrive at all times of the day and night, as we emerge from the pandemic. This project is a great example of a local partnership coming together and leading the way with innovative solutions that will help ensure the benefits are felt by all.”
Anyone interested in engaging with the Fore Street For All project or taking part in future events can contact the team at: forestreetforall@gmail.com .
Fore Street is a bustling and lively high street in Upper Edmonton, a ward which is among the 10 per cent most deprived in England. Upper Edmonton ward is the most populous of the 21 wards in the London Borough of Enfield. It is in the south east of the borough and Fore Street runs vertically through the middle of the ward.
More about Fore Street for All can be found at https://www.forestreetforall.com/
REACT (Residents of Edmonton Angel Community Together) works with and seeks to represent more than 3,000 households in Upper Edmonton
Artist Hive Studios is a thriving artist’s hub and networking centre
Fisher Cheng practices collaborative architecture with a socially motivated agenda