We share our building, our mission and our history with Pembroke House, a centre for social action and residential community of volunteers. Our parish priest, Mother Ellen, is the Warden of Pembroke House.
Pembroke House runs projects that serve the local community and has developed a new community space, the Walworth Living Room. During Covid-19, Pembroke House led the community response by developing an Emergency Response Distribution Hub.
St Christopher’s congregation are encouraged to get involved with Pembroke House at every level – as volunteers, participants or supporters. We pray regularly as a church for the staff and work of Pembroke House and the Walworth Living Room.
History
We were founded in 1885 as the Pembroke College Mission, by students from Pembroke College, Cambridge. They took their inspiration from the University Settlement movement which was started by Samuel & Henrietta Barnett, an Anglican priest and his wife in the East End of London.
In time we became two separate organisations – the Parish Church of St Christopher’s, Walworth, and Pembroke House (now a registered charity, the Pembroke College Settlement). We continue to work closely together to serve our neighbourhood in Walworth.