Category Archives: History

Salter statues could be unveiled this year as appeal reaches £50k target

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Exciting news from the Salter Statues Campaign

This month we can announce  great news for all those who  have spent the last three years campaigning to restore the memory of Ada and Alfred.

The Salter Statues Campaign has at last achieved its target of £50,000. The statues of Ada, Alfred and their daughter, Joyce, can now go ahead and be installed.

There may even be an unveiling before the end of this year of the beautiful ensemble designed by artist, Diane Gorvin. Not only has justice been done to Alfred Salter, whose statue was stolen by metal-thieves in 2011, but the addition of Ada is historic for all of London, where currently there are only 14 public statues of women compared to hundreds of men.

Amazingly, Ada’s statue will be the first public statue of a woman environmentalist, the first of a woman peace campaigner, the first of a woman trade unionist, the first of a woman politician and the first of a Quaker woman.

Congratulations to all who campaigned, and all who donated.

IT firm’s £5,000 boost to Salter statues appeal thanks to local lad Michael Tobin

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From the website of the Salter Statues Campaign to restore the Alfred Salter statue on the Thames Path and add a representation of Ada Salter to the scene:

In June we were thrilled to receive a cheque for £5,000 from TelecityGroup, the leading telecommunications company. The donation was prompted by their Chief Executive Officer, Michael Tobin OBE, one of Britain’s top entrepreneurs.

Michael has 25 years experience in technology and telecommunications and was awarded an OBE in the 2014 New Year Honours list for his services to the Digital Economy. What connects such a high-flying businessman to the Salters? Michael wrote to us explaining:

“There are a number of reasons why this is important both to me personally and to TelecityGroup. Firstly Telecity is committed to supporting the welfare and education of children around the world. Ada and Alfred Salter were the epitome of this cause, working with extremely under-privileged children in some of London’s poorest areas. Secondly, TelecityGroup is one of the world’s largest data centre companies and its headquarters in the east of London makes it ideally suited to contribute to the upbringing and welfare of that part of the city. Personally I was born in Bermondsey growing up in a challenging environment between Long Lane and Rotherhithe, so the area is of particular interest to me.”

Michael Tobin recently moved to Rotherhithe and last year joined Theo Paphitis and Simon Hughes MP for the launch of a local Liberal Democrat campaign to improve Southwark’s high streets.

Brunel lettering unveiled at Rotherhithe roundabout

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On Sunday the Mayor of Southwark tweeted this photo:

The two metre high forged steel letters have been crafted by  blacksmith Kevin Boys and his apprentices at their forge in Surrey Docks Farm.

Individual hot carved plates have also been designed & created, by pupils from the local Bacons College.

Their plates have been incorporated into the letters sculpture as part of their school’s science and engineering programme.

The letters signage is first phase of the Brunel Statue Group’s vision to erect a 15-metre statue commemorating Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

Funded by Bermondsey & Rotherhithe Community Council’s ‘Cleaner Greener Safer’ Fund.