Tower Hamlets

The Methodist Circuit is co-terminus with the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and is immediately east of the City bordered by the Boroughs of Hackney to the north, Newham to the east and the River Thames to the south.

The historic images of the Tower of London and Tower Bridge now share their place on the skyline with the new towers of Canary Wharf.

This is inner urban London and an area of considerable history – from the 11^th century Tower of London to the 21^st century Docklands development from the Victorian Whitechapel of Jack the Ripper to the 2012 Olympics. Along the way a succession of immigrant communities from Huguenots, Jews and Caribbeans to Bangladeshis, Africans and Eastern Europeans this is a place of constant change and is one of the most exciting and challenging places to live in the UK.

 

A dense built environment with multi-million pound new apartments alongside Victorian terraces and 1960’s tower blocks. It is a very busy place with people everywhere and a 24/7 environment (e.g. we still have two 24/7 bagel shops in the borough alongside numerous bars, clubs and restaurants and the 200 high street shops beneath the Docklands development.) The poor and rich live cheek by jowl with one another in a Borough of 8 square miles with a population of over 200,000 people. So as well as having lots of millionaires and a sprinkling of the 'famous' we also have some of the most deprived people and families in the UK. Increasing gentrification means that often only the very poor and very rich can 'afford' to live here alongside those who can arrange ‘key’ worker accommodation or a place to live that comes with the job, such as church workers.

The work of our churches and projects is mostly with those at the poorer end of life and amongst those most marginalised by society. Some of our congregation members have work providing the service industries to the City and Docklands.

LBTH Borough Ward Map:

 

According to figures from the 2001 Census the population is diverse with 51% White, 34% Bangladeshi (Muslim), 7% Black or Black British, 2% Indian, 1.5% Pakistani, 2% Chinese and 1.5% Vietnamese. Since May 2004 increasing numbers of migrant workers from the former USSR block countries such as Poland, Bulgaria and the Baltic States. The faiths are 38% Christian (the lowest percentage by borough in the UK), 21% Muslim, smaller groups from the Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu communities and 21% stating no faith or religion not stated.

High percentages of; one parent/carer households, low income/benefit dependent, council/housing association housing – mostly estates and high rise living with significant overcrowding as well as many who are homeless or vulnerably housed. Our Methodist Church Whitechapel Mission sees 200 homeless or vulnerably housed people each day in its day centre providing food, showers, clothing and other ‘basics’ of life.

Largely because of the increasing gentrification we have excellent transport links to Docklands, the City (10 minutes) and the West End (25 minutes) and all the wonders of London are just a bus or tube journey away. Public transport and road links to other parts of the UK and beyond are excellent also, if often rather busy!