The crowdfunding drive to pay for a Christmas tree for Wanstead has smashed through its target. At the time of writing, £3,646 had been pledged by people who wanted to ensure the traditional tree would be installed on George Green.
Redbridge Council withdrew its £3,000 funding for the tree as part of budget cuts.
The fund was organised by Conservative councillor Colin Cronin, who says on the crowdfunding site that the surplus “will be used to fund projects in our local area to continue enhancing our beautiful Wanstead”. He suggests a new swing, a bench or tree, and says suggestions will be voted on by the community after Christmas.
As well as many small donations, there were two pledges of £750 (from estate agents Petty Son & Prestwich and Keatons) and one of £500. Donations can still be made until the end of October.
Fab! Well done. 🌲ðŸ
I am delighted to see such a strong positive message to come out of this sorry saga.
Great results guys but please keep contributing to be part of our Christmas tree. All suggestions welcome for what the surplus could be used for and the sponsors of the tree will get to vote on what projects they want funded.
Could some of the surplus go towards improving the Christmas lights on the rest of Wanstead High Street? They always look a bit feeble to me, rather half-hearted, and don’t really make me get into Christmas spending mode. My mum lives in a small market town and their high street is a mass of multi coloured lights – no trendy blues , just wonderfully traditional reds, greens, golds and whites, and I immediately want to breakout the mulled wine and get spending!
Just a thought……
Well done Colin. Now I can see where I can add my contribution.
This is a sad and sorry story that straddles the all-too-familiar realms of political ineptitude and political opportunism. The Labour-controlled council, faced with significant budgetary constraints by a Conservative-controlled central government had no choice but to reduce funding across the board. But as usual, as this is the UK, the real outcry comes when people don’t get their beleaguered Christmas tree on The Green, (you know, the one that they would usually complain about, anyway). It’s a shame there isn’t the same level of furore about cuts in local libraries, local NHS, social care, elderly care and so on. Of course, the local Labour Party should have seen this one coming and have all-too-easily fallen into the kiljoy socialist stereotype of ‘Labour cancels Christmas’. The local Tories (whose Central government did the cutting in the first place) have been able to make political capital – out of a bad situation – a situation they ultimately created.
Please don’t use this to make political comments. Hope you have contributed to the fund?
You’ve missed the point entirely! The whole scenario IS political – as I have pointed out above. It is naive to think otherwise.
No, I have not nor will not contribute. I suggest that rather than give money to this vanity project, people give money to deserving charities – Crisis at Christmas would be a more fitting recipient.
As a very quick aside following on from Juan Stead (oh, ha ha.. clever!)… if we are going to be political, then the question should be… why have Central Government felt the need to cut the budget? Perhaps it’s because of the Labour administration’s totally inadequate handling of the economy when they were in power.
There’s obviously enough money in Wanstead to fund a tree without using council money. They (the council) might aswell divert the funds to things like roads and drainage etc.
I like the fact that the community pulls together over something they believe in (having a lit up tree on the green at the end of the year) . There may not always be enough in the communal pot to get one but there is obviously enough will among the community to fund it.