What We Do
And why we need you
Tramshed
51-53 Woolwich New Road
London
SE18 6ES
LOCATION
We run weekly performing arts programmes for young people and for adults with learning disabilities. We are a funded organisation, working with amazing partners who support our work.
What We Have Done
Between September 2024 and September 2025 we have:
Seen Tramshed’s Youth Theatre Programme turn 54 years old! We had 1,488 attendances from young people to 93 sessions over the 2024/5 academic year. 38% of participants accessed free spaces to attend.
Offered professional arts experience and social spaces to Disabled Adults. Supported by Royal Borough of Greenwich, Henry Smith Foundation, Greenwich Mencap, Peter Harris Trust, Metro GADS and the Rupert Prokofiev Legacy.
Offered 365 hours of delivery across 7 programmes for 1755 attendances across 143 sessions, 88% of this programme was free to attend.
Find out more about our regular participatory arts programme.
Working With Local Partners
We are proud to host, work alongside and partner with local organisations who enrich our space and our local community. Work from our community partners include:
Caribbean Social Forum – 48 sessions with 100+ attendees on a weekly basis. CSF also held 5 significant events at Tramshed including a Women’s Day event, Duckie Posh Club and Passing the Baton Conference on issues for Caribbean elders
Woolwich Singers – 58 weekly sing for fun sessions including 3 sold out concerts
Woolwich Dance Space – 116 weekly term time dance classes, WDS is becoming a CIC to offer greater access for more local children
Woolwich Creative Club – 44 weekly free music lessons for local children from professional musicians Byron Wallen and Kendrick Rowe and Trinity Laban students
Woolwich Jazz Series – 5 professional Jazz Events featuring participation from Tramshed resident groups
Al Anon – 46 weekly sessions for families of alcoholics
Find out about our community partners’ programmes.
What Is The Money For?
Tramshed is a registered charity and a funded organisation. We are grateful for the financial support we receive from our regular funders - The Royal Borough of Greenwich; The Henry Smith Foundation; BBC Children for Need; Metro GAD and Garfield Weston. Their supports is fundamental to us delivering our core programmes and keeping the lights on.
All additional funding raised by our community will go to three main areas:
Sustainability
We want to ensure that every programme we run is never at risk of being pulled due to a lack of financing, making sure there is always going to be a Tramshed for those who need us the most.
We also want to run our building in accordance with environmental principles and leave a positive impact on our planet as well as our community.
Being a sustainable organisation also means having a team that can fulfil their duties without burning out. That is why we are committed to filling gaps in our team and continuing to be a London Living Wage employer.
“There are no other suitable spaces with transport links and flat access. Tramshed is our home it is one of the only places I feel safe, where young people feel safe” Caribbean Social Forum Member
Safeguarding
We want to ensure that all our staff have the highest level of training in all aspects of safeguarding. We already provide full DBS checks for all staff, as well as safeguarding and first aid training. But our jobs, working with people from many different segments of society, requires us to be up to date with the latest and best methodologies of safe practice. We want to go above and beyond what is legally required of us to ensure that everyone who interacts with Tramshed is safe, protected and cared for.
Preserving A Local Beacon
The Tramshed has been a home for live music, cabaret, theatre and comedy since 1973. Greenwich and Lewisham Young People’s Theatre (GLYPT) has been delivering creative programmes for young people in south-east London, also for over half a century. We took over the building in 2009, rebranding to reflect the amazing history of this building.
We are proud custodians of this space and want to ensure that our doors remain open and welcome to the people of Woolwich and beyond.
It currently cost us around £800 to open the building for a typical 10-hour day. We do have ambitions to utilise the commercial potential of the building. In plain terms, increasing our revenue from hiring out the space. But we NEVER want to lose the essence of what makes this space so special; the fact that it belongs to everyone.
What You Do Makes Our Day
Our Fundraisers are of course about bringing in much needed funds, there is no getting away from that. But, these nights are also an opportunity for our community to come together and support each other. You are our people. We have always known that. Without the community, there is no Tramshed. No rich, vibrant community hub that is home to ballet dancers aged 2-7; teenagers who come together to meet friends and play games at the end of the school week; a weekly gathering of elders from the Windrush Generation; a launch pad for young actors and theatre practitioners; a theatre entertaining local families with brilliant shows - and a lot more.
Our Future
We are about to enter an exciting time for Tramshed, with two new community spaces opening up as part of the Woolwich Waves development. We also recently expanded our team, with new staff joining our Front of House, Participation, Business and Technical teams. As welcome as these developments are, we are still working in a deeply challenging environment. The costs of running and maintaining the building continue to rise – we pay £11 every hour on electricity alone. We are also facing increased costs related to staff training and security, as we thrive to make Tramshed a safe space for all who use our building.
Check out our spaces, including our brand new studios.
Although the future brings up challenges, we know that Tramshed has enormous potential. We also know that the need for the services we offer are greater than ever. How can you support Tramshed?
