We seek to be with everyone – but especially those on the edge.
For us, the edge is often where we find what really matters. Being on the edge is something many of us face at different points in our lives. Times when we’re on the cutting edge, sometimes misunderstood, as we seek to imagine a better world. Times when we’re on the edge of faith, seeking for honesty and a greater sense of meaning. For many members of our different communities, times when we are homeless.
Since 1924 the BBC has partnered with us and Radio 4 listeners to help homeless and vulnerably housed people. In 2020 our Christmas Appeal raised £4.2 million to support those facing homelessness throughout the UK. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00wh1dk
We founded a charity called The Connection, which helps people move away from and stay off the streets of London by tackling the underlying causes of rough sleeping and offering practical help.
We ensure that those who are on the edge are consulted and listened to – and where facilities are aimed at a particular group, we include members of that group in the decision-making.
Our work at The Connection has won awards and is recognised as one of the centres of this philosophy of partnership and holistic value of the people that use its facilities. https://www.connection-at-stmartins.org.uk/
Profits from our cafés and our other business ventures enhance our church and community projects – from glorious music to connecting with people seeking asylum in our Sunday International Group.
Our patron saint, St Martin, was a Roman soldier who saw a man, naked and asking for help. He got down from his horse, took his red cloak, cut it in half and shared it with the man in need. That night he had a vision that the man was Jesus. Our team members come from a wide variety of faith perspectives: each is inspired by this story to treat each person with dignity and to share what we have in more than just token ways.
