The Friends of St Mary’s

In 1865, two Hampstead businessmen, moved by the sight of starving children on street corners, opened a home for destitute boys in Regents Park Road, and subsequently in 1872, the present red brick church St Mary’s was opened as part of their work; which today still provides much needed help for the disadvantaged in the neighbourhood.

In particular, we are committed to the welfare of young people, especially as 28 % of children in our area are today living in poverty. Gang culture is rife in Camden and often leads its members to imprisonment, injury and death. Our youth team leader at the St Mary’s Centre, Jason Allen, works closely with these young people. At times, he has to act quickly to take a vulnerable group to safety out of London to prevent further violence.

Volunteers also staff the Cold Weather Shelter we run, giving homeless people hot meals and a bed for one night a week through the coldest, winter months.

Our charity, Friends of St Mary’s, invites local people to provide financial support to this vital work, which currently operates on a small budget but makes an enormous difference to those we help.