St Martin-in-the-Fields has an established Chinese congregation, which significantly grew following the sovereignty handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997.

Since the recent changes to Hong Kong security law, we have had a substantial number of Hong Kong nationals reaching out to members of this congregation and the Chinese vicar, Harry Ching.

We have seen and are expecting a substantial amount of new migrants from Hong Kong in the coming years.

Many of these settlers have left Hong Kong with no belongings and no connections in the UK and find the transition really difficult. We have been welcoming them to our Cantonese and Mandarin church services and to activities in the Ho Ming Wah Centre (in the crypt of St Martin’s) as well as cultural events, such as New Year Celebrations and community events.

Since the pandemic, all of the services at St Martin’s, including the Mandarin and Cantonese services are available online. The St Martin-in-the-Fields Trust is raising funds to support this work and ensure that the recent arrivals are able to start their new lives with the support from St Martin’s.