Newington Green Meeting House to host fundraiser for refugees

‘From Calais to Kiev’ will feature talks, art, and live music from Jelly Cleaver

, and Lizzie McAllister

19 April 2022 . 9:59 AM

1 min read

Heritage At Risk 2020. Unitarian Church, 39 Newington Green, Stoke Newington, Hackney, Greater London. Facade of mid C19-appearance. 1-storey building with end to road having central door and flanking windows. Stucco with angle pilasters, entablature and wide pediment. Central bay projects slightly. Pilasters and entablature to modern double door with blocked fanlight. Panel above, in scrolled moulded architrave, with inscription: “Erected A.D.1708, enlarged A.D.1860.” Round arched windows with margin, lights in moulded architraves with tall key blocks. Mid C19 Sunday School extension behind. The Unitarian Church is known for its connection to the English dissenting movement of the late 18th century. One of the movements notable figures Dr Richard Price began preaching at the church after moving to the area in 1758. During his time at Newington Green he hosted prominent figures of the American Revolution including John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. As a preacher at the Unitarian Church Dr Price one of his congregants was Mary Wollstonecraft. She moved her fledgling school for girls to the area in 1784. Her links with the dissenting community helped develop her ideas for A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, for which she earned her reputation as a pioneer of feminism. General view from south.

The historic Newington Green Meeting House will host an evening of art, music and talks on 20 May to raise money for refugee support groups.

The event, ‘From Calais to Kyiv’, takes place from 7pm until 9pm, and will feature a live solo show by singer-songwriter Jelly Cleaver.

The venue describes it as a “fundraiser for charities working on the ground to help displaced people”, with all donations being split between an organisation supporting Ukrainians and Care 4 Calais, which works with refugees across the globe.

Tickets are £10 each, and you can book them here.

The Meeting House is one of a number of local organisations trying to help refugees, as people across the world are displaced by war.

Charity club nights and one-off restaurant evenings have been hosted across Hackney to support asylum seekers and the people working with them.

And that work is as important as ever in light of the UK government’s controversial new plans to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Under the proposals, any adult coming to the UK without authorisation could be relocated to the east African nation, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson says will have the “capacity to resettle tens of thousands of people in the years ahead”.

Newington Green Meeting House has long championed inclusion and progressive thinking, having been a regular haunt of feminist writer Mary Wollestonecraft. It remains London’s oldest Nonconformist place of worship.

In addition to the fundraiser, the Meeting House hosts exhibitions and life drawing classes, and on 30 April will hold a day of discussions to celebrate Wollestonecraft’s 260th birthday.

For more information, visit ngmh.org.uk.