Following members' agreement at the AGM, Newington Green Action Group is pleased to announce that it is pressing ahead with plans to erect a sculpture as a memorial to Mary Wollstonecraft on Newington Green. 'In principle' consent has been given by Islington Council and a sub-committee to plan the sculpture and fundraising, has been set up.
A sculpture will not only salute Mary Wollstonecraft but we hope it will draw people to Newington Green and in so doing, will help continue the regeneration of the area and help the local economy.
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797) was born in Spitalfields and as a young woman lived and opened a girls' school on Newington Green between 1784 - 1786. Her experience of the school was distilled in her first book 'Thoughts on the Education of Daughters'. It was at Newington Green that she was introduced to several radical thinkers of the day who encouraged her to explore her emerging theories. Mary went on to write several books, including 'A Vindication of the Rights of Men' in 1790 and her most famous and influential work, 'A Vindication of the Rights of Women' in 1792 - one of the very first feminist texts to be written.
NGAG invited two excellent speakers to our 2010 AGM, who talked about Mary Wollstonecraft and the issues we need to consider in order to make a reality of this project. You may read Professor Clare Midgley's talk here.
NGAG has also planted up the tree pits around Newington Green in the colours of the suffragette movement who were inspired by Mary Wollstonecraft.
The London Borough of Islington has kindly shown us some support and has donated £3,000 towards the sculpture. The call for submissions will commence some time in 2011.
Please Help us raise the £260,000 we need to bring about this exciting project
If you would like to be involved in the Planning Committee or have some suggestions you would like to make re the project, do please Contact NGAG here.
You may also donate online below.
New Website for Mary on the Green
We now have a second NGAG website, which is dedicated to the Mary on the Green project. This will be the place to find out about the latest developments and you can visit it here:
You may also see more about Mary Wollstonecraft in our Gallery and read about her in NGAG's award winning publication, which is now in its second edition:
The Village That Changed the World: A History of Newington Green' by Alex Allardyce.
June 2010
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