For those of you who may not know us, the George Padmore Institute is a small charity which started off through a combination of donations, ad hoc grants and volunteer work. We’re an archive which was started by a group of ordinary people with a shared commitment to promoting the histories of black and brown people in Britain who have helped to change society.
We have around twenty unique archive collections which contain stories of political and cultural activism in the UK over the last 75 years — from black parents fighting for fair treatment for their children in schools to a movement which highlighted Caribbean artists in the UK and the pioneering radical book fairs which brought writers and publishers from all over the world to London. It’s a treasure trove of fascinating documents, photos, letters, posters and more, which show how people from all backgrounds have made crucial contributions to contemporary British society.
We’re continuing the legacy of the movements we hold in our archives by publishing books for children and adults, hosting talks and events and welcoming researchers to come and learn about these overlooked aspects of British history. We’ve been visited by students, writers, TV and film researchers from the UK, Europe and North America. We also go out across London and the UK to tell the stories in our collections, from talks in schools and libraries to screening our films. Last year we were part of the Open House programme in London, throwing open our doors to the general public.
We’ve been housed in a Victorian terrace in Finsbury Park, north London, for thirty-five years and this building requires ongoing care and attention.
When we started in 1991, we carried out major work to make the building ready to house the archives, and we’ve also done a lot of ad hoc work over the decades.
Over the last two years – and with only minor disruption to our day-to-day activities – we managed to complete major work inside and out, including to our roof, chimney and ceilings. We were really lucky to be able to do that through a fundraising appeal in 2023. We are hugely grateful for the donations we received from the general public as well as from the celebrated painter Peter Doig and the Paul Stolper Gallery in London, and the eminent Birmingham photographer Vanley Burke and BAND Gallery in Toronto.
This fundraiser is to make the cellar ready for complete renovation, which we can do in stages. We’ll undertake the major work in the next two to three years, but over this summer we can start to make it ready.
For this stage, we will:
- Remove all the rubbish and loose earth in the cellar and prepare the groundwork to install steel structure supports;
- Rent and install steel structure supports needed for the floor and walls of the cellar;
- Build floor supports to be attached to the steel supports in the cellar;
- Replace the floor;
- Pay for the supports to stay up for a year while we work on the bigger fundraising project to complete all the work needed on the cellar.
We have full quotes for this work and aim to get it done this summer when the cellar is less damp.
We’re a small charity which has, since 1991, operated on a shoestring and through grants and intermittent funding. In 2023, for the first time, we received regular funding from Arts Council England for our archive and public events and publishing work, which runs until March 2028. But that doesn’t cover the costs to maintain the building, which continues to require substantial monies for its upkeep.
We’re a very efficient charity, operating with only two staff, and with our trustees giving a lot of free time to keep us going, so this fundraiser will really help us to embark on a crucial building project we have yet to undertake. It will keep us – and our inspiring archive collections – open to the public and the wide variety of people who want to learn the full story of British history.
PayPal
Click here to donate via PayPal.
Bank Transfer
Charities Aid Foundation Bank
Account Name: George Padmore Institute
Sort code: 40 52 40
Account Number: 00035060
Cheques payable to the George Padmore Institute
Please post to:
George Padmore Institute Building Appeal
76 Stroud Green Road,
Finsbury Park,
London N4 3EN
.png)