SMH Annual Review 2017

One year at St. Margaret’s House 2017 review

Welcome to

ST. MARGARET’S HOUSE We are a unique charity supporting community, good works, creativity and wellbeing in Bethnal Green since 1889.

CONTENT

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2017 IMPACT OVERVIEW

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AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY 9 COMMUNITY EVENTS 15 Chapel cinema 16 Poetry nights

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COME, EAT GOOD, FEEL GOOD 19 GALLERY CAFE 23 Monthly Exhibition

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MOVE, LEARN, GROW 27 YOGANEST & COMMUNITY WELLBEING 29 Our wellbeing ambassadors 31 Our wellbeing classes

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LEARN, SHARE, MAKE 35 CREATE PLACE & COMMUNITY ARTS 37 Our arts ambassadors 39 Our arts classes

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SHOP, DONATE, VOLUNTEER 43 AYOKA

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GET TO KNOW US 47 Our friends 49 Our team 51 Get involved

2017 IMPACT OVERVIEW Our mission as a charity is to promote positive social change by creating opportunities for people to come together and play a more active part in their community. We take great pride in working to increase access to opportunities and cultural programming through our community projects that provide low-cost and free events, exhibitions, workshops, and classes.

Our buildings are home to a diverse range of organisations and charities with many others using our rooms for their meetings, training sessions, and events.

All of the profits from our projects enable us to run volunteer programmes, do good works in the community and further support local organisations.

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charities & organisations have offices in our buildings

We organised

154

events more than

free

101

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volunteers 15 trustees 25 employees 97 collaborators

We gave away

1,300 hours of free space worth more than

ÂŁ25,600

Our projects anchor us in the community, providing spaces for residents to eat, shop, learn, create, and enjoy a diverse cultural programming.

Apart from providing excellent vegan food and coffee, our Gallery CafĂŠ is in every sense a community resource and an integral part of what we do. more than

11,000

vegan breakfasts & burgers plus many more other mains and specials enjoyed

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50,000

more than

plus many more other drinks

displayed their work in our cafe

artists

The Create Place works with local arts and crafts makers and provides a richer mix than ever of free or low-cost classes and workshops.

310

arts classes

of arts classes

and makers throughout the year

free

155

We hosted

manager joined our team in July

We offer a wider range than ever of free, low-cost or donation-based wellbeing classes in Yoganest and other spaces in our buildings. more than

2,100

wellbeing classes

15

of wellbeing classes

teachers

and therapists have sessions with us every week

1wellbeing new manager

joined our team in March

free

with

170

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Ayoka, our charity shop, provides a valuable community service by offering

affordable products, opportunities for volunteers as well as a platform for recycling. we recycled

6,240kg

of unwanted clothes, shoes and bags

500 people

more than

brought in donations

6

more than

new 42 artists 1 arts

16 types

at the heart of the community

COMMUNITY EVENTS

2017 has been another great year, with events at St. Margaret’s House having gathered

more than 4600 attendees

Highlighting a genre we don’t see as much as we would like, Harald Lassen, Glasshopper and the Vitor Pereira Quintet provided some really memorable jazz concerts across 2017, with the latter described as a “heavyweight band” by London Timeout. It was also great to celebrate the original material from local jazz singer and tenant, Anna Aarons.

Continuing the celebrations, Bethnal Green-based author Dixe Wills held a launch for his latest book, Tiny Histories. Dixe has released several books and written for The Guardian and it was an honour for us to choose his local (and favourite) café for his event.

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while we continued to pursue our aim of providing an eclectic and accessible art programme. The café has seen a whole range of performers on its stage; from BBC regular comedian Josie Long and musician Anna Phoebe, who has played with Jethro Tull and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, to people who have never even set foot on a stage to perform before.

We have been really lucky to feature some true talents in folk music in our programme. PicaPica recorded their album inside our chapel, soon to be released via Rough Trade and they also treated us to a special live performance in support of, the equally sublime, The Nightjar. Tom Ryder curated two excellent evenings of music and Thomas James Smith, part of the Lyrical Nomads collective, packed the café out.

More genre-busting came from the riotous cabaret nights curated by Atlas, a performance artist working in the UK and USA. Their work is a diverse exploration into themes that have included representations of queer identities, political activism and ecocide.

Our monthly Open Mic nights have gone from strength to strength, attracting regular and new performers and attendees alike. The audience is incredibly welcoming and the venue has been commended for offering a warm environment for both seasoned players and people just starting out.

Our resident swing group, Shag Pile, continue to host their bi-monthly Cut a Rug events in our cafĂŠ, providing taster dance classes followed by a chance to let loose in the cafĂŠ with a live swing band.

Our family day, the St. Margaret’s House Summer Jamboree, expanded its programme and range of activities, providing interactive theatre-based workshops themed around healthy eating, yoga,

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live music nights

36 cinema screenings

36

15

8

4

2

and others

literary events comedy theatre markets

educational events art events

Once again we offered an entire day of free live music in our garden at our Down the Garden Path event where we invited some of our favourite musicians from the year to perform. An estimated 270 people came to enjoy live music and delicious food from the Gallery CafĂŠ.

Rounding off the end of the year was our Winter Market, offering a selection of stalls comprised of some fantastic local, independent businesses, selling their wares inside our hall. For the first time, our market doubled as a fundraiser for another one of our friends and tenants WISH, a user-led charity who work with women with mental health needs in prison, hospital and the community. Showing our support for a similar cause, we are proud to be able to help them provide independent advocacy, emotional support and practical guidance through the Mental Health and Criminal Justice Systems.

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154 events 101 free entry 50 entry < ÂŁ5

a parent and child cooking class, live music, magic, face-painting, a childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toy takeover of our garden, acupressure massage tasters, and an African drum workshop. A special thank you goes to our friends and tenants Freshwater Theatre and Grand Union Orchestra for lending their skills and talents to the day. The event has been setup to provide a free day of activities for children and their parents, encouraging interaction and engagement between the age ranges, whilst promoting our support for the wellbeing of the local community.

This year we have also either worked alongside or raised funds for a whole range of charities, social enterprises, some of which include our own tenants. These are: WISH // The Albert Kennedy Trust // Children with Cancer UK // Amma’s Embracing the World // N.Abled // SOAS Detainee Support // North London Food Not Bombs // African Women’s Welfare Association // Just Enough UK // MQ: Transforming Mental Health // CALM // Grand Union Orchestra // Freshwater Theatre.

The Gallery Cafe book club has celebrated its 7th anniversary and continues to welcome those with a background in literary studies and those who read for pleasure, bringing together a group of people who share a love of literature and commitment to St Margaret’s social and environmental work.

The latter half of the year also saw the beginning of Got the Blues, a bi-monthly night of blues music. With an incredible band, led by London musician Alice Phelps, this night celebrates music not to be forgotten.

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As well as looking after our audiences, we have endeavored to improve all aspects both on and off the stage for performers, event organisers and curators too. The quality of live sound has improved dramatically with the purchase of specialised equipment that delivers both the consistent and high-quality live sound that our performers and audience deserve.

free Chapel Cinema

Our evenings are still on and we have been concentrating our efforts on offering more on top of a free ticket.

This is being achieved by working with three wonderful groups.

External promoters, curators and film enthusiasts: UNDRLNDN run film nights that highlight the works of young, up and coming film makers; from independent music video artists to BAFTA short film nominees, this night provides a platform for budding creatives to talk about their own projects and gain advice and motivation from people who are starting to carve out a career in film.

Action on the Side are a local and independent film-making collective who run (weekend-based) film making projects, allowing people to build a network of collaborators, share experience and start making films together in London.

Email My Heart Film Club host unashamedly cheesy nights, specialising in screening great and gloriously bad films, going heavy on 90s/00s nostalgia. These nights are for singing along to, wearing fancy dress and watching a film with 25 versions of your best friend sitting next to you.

Spoken word nights

have been enjoying the intimate atmosphere of our Chapel and we have two brilliant free, monthly events in our programme.

Capital Letters is hosted by poet and University of East London English tutor Jonathan Mann, Phd. Continuing to attract an ever changing line-up of poets for audiences to discuss works with as well as listen to, the night celebrated its 2nd birthday with us in August.

>> stmargaretshouse.org.uk/whats-on

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Our newest poetry night is called Extra Second London and explores monthly themes with a great selection of poets to match the standard set

by Capital Letters. The event also offers open mic slots at the beginning of each night, celebrating new material and performers alike.

come eat good feel good

GALLERY CAFE The Gallery CafĂŠ continues to flourish and develop as more and more people are discovering the vegan diet and its impact on health and the environment. With this in mind, this year will be the last year we offer any non-vegan items, as from January 2018 we will be 100% vegan.

We have continued to expand our menu with some exciting and popular new additions and we have served more than

11,000 vegan breakfasts and burgers.

We also continue to provide daily specials which focus on using seasonal ingredients, encourage the chefs to get creative and maximises the use of our produce to minimise waste.

On the drinks side of things we adjusted our juice menu to focus on healthy trends and we have served more than 50,000 coffees! This averages at 164 coffees per day and also means we are in general making one coffee for every four minutes we are open.

Apart from being ahead of the curve with selling turmeric lattes and oat milk, we are also the only place in Bethnal Green to sell beetroot chai lattes, which is healthy and tasty but also ensures we are on-trend with rainbow lattes.

The dedicated team at the cafĂŠ are always knowledgeable and provide a service that demonstrates not only their level of education

on specialist diets and the products we sell but expands to local area information, history and being real representatives for our community.

“This café is a community project, so spending hours in its garden — decked cheerfully with bunting and with large tables for stretching out with a paper — is virtually a good deed.”

Evening Standard, London’s best coffee gardens, 2017

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50,000+ coffees enjoyed

We continue to employ team members from a diverse and international range of backgrounds, and newcomers and visitors always comment on the incredibly mutually supportive atmosphere we have created at the café.

This year, along with more thorough inductions and first aid courses, we focused on regular coffee training sessions as we believe this can only improve the cafe's standards.

The Gallery Café is 100% the result of its hard working team. The vibrant and community atmosphere is down to their dedication and constant support, and development is absolutely key to its success.

“Heaven for arts-loving meat-haters and easy on the wallet, the Gallery Cafe is part of Bethnal Green’s St Margaret’s House community project, which hosts art exhibitions, film screenings, live music, spoken-word nights and comedy performances, as well as festivals and artsand-crafts workshops. In addition to the ohso-fashionable avocado on sourdough toast, hot vegan and veggie options include a full English with vegan sausage and scrambled tofu.”

The Guardian, The 50 best breakfast places in the UK, January 2017

“Just had possibly the best gluten free banana bread in the history of my vegan existence! Beautifully brewed soya latte, had a juice that was out of this world - the staff are accommodating and very polite! 10/10, an absolute gem in London” (Google August 2017)

The Gallery Café already supports an environmentally friendly approach as veganism continues to be one of the most environmentally positive steps anyone can take. Alongside this we have used recycled, biodegradable packaging as we have done for over six years and we welcome the use of reusable cups with our whole team being very committed to minimising waste. We have also provided vegetable waste to a local allotment for compost throughout the summer.

We are passionate about sourcing fresh food and top quality ingredients from local suppliers

our

carbon

and help support our neighbours. We sell beer brewed in Hackney and London’s only locally brewed cider - Urban Orchard, which is made entirely from apples donated from people’s gardens.

This year we have also moved to two more new suppliers: our new bread supplier is just minutes away on Roman Road and our vegan croissants are made within a mile. Our delicious coffee supplier is based in Dalston, where they roast their own beans and we are also looking into moving to a more local vegetable wholesaler. >> stmargaretshouse.org.uk/gallerycafe

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to reduce footprint

MONTHLY EXHIBITION We are proud to support local artists every year by showcasing amazing work on our Café walls on a monthly basis. Most notably, we were able to exhibit the incredible photography of Fabio Forin.

Shortlisted for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2016, Forin showcased his award winning piece WING as part of his first ever solo exhibition LIMINAL. We have explored historical stories of East London through Diisonance by Steve Ryan and Paul Hawkins. The two met in the early nineties while squatting in Claremont Road and engaging in antiroad protests and poll-tax riots. This exhibition was their most recent output together, reimagining and reengaging in the stories associated to an area that has changed dramatically over the last 25 years.

We have also been able to celebrate the works of some our Gallery Café local regulars; Thomas Rowe – artist, musician and shoemaker, and Nick Hayes graphic novelist, illustrator and political cartoonist.

AWAKEN, Hannah Dudley SKETCH MUSIC, Simona De Leo MYKADELICA, Mykadelica LIMINAL, Fabio Forrin NICK HAYES, Nick Hayes TOMARTACUS, Tom & Jess Jones-Berney ART4U2 GROUP, End of Year Celebration AT THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, Thomas Rowe DIISONANCE, Steve Ryan & Paul Hawkins SAME SIDE OF A DIFFERENT LINE, Lara Gallagher MY SINGLE LINE, Robert Challens SOFIA SULEIMAN, Sofia Suleiman

>> stmargaretshouse.org.uk/exhibition

more than 25 artists displayed their work

TOMARTACUS

FABIO FORIN

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STEVE RYAN & PAUL HAWKINS

ROBERT CHALLENS

THOMAS ROWE

move learn grow

YOGANEST & COMMUNITY WELLBEING It has been an exciting year for our wellbeing activities as well as for Yoganest, our intimate yoga studio. We have provided over

2,100 low cost classes

for the community which is a huge increase on 1,650 in 2016. We have also focused on increasing the accessibility of our classes for the members of the community with very low incomes, and have managed to host

170 completely free classes thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an average of a free class every 2 days.

We have introduced many new classes to the community including Ballet Fitness, Embodied Yoga Principles, Intermediate Yoga, Women only classes and a series of Fitness classes.

Our partners and teachers come from across the globe; Australia, Brazil, Italy, Spain and more, and with them they bring their own unique styles. We are proud to be inclusive of all people from the community of Bethnal Green and offer a cosy space to switch off from the outside world.

Over 200 people attend our classes each week to start or continue on their wellbeing journey whilst meeting new people living in the surrounding area, and we are determined to see this grow even further in 2018.

One of 2017â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s highlights was bringing a Community Wellbeing Manager to the team.

With their support, SMH has attended and hosted meetings with Tower Hamlets health and

wellbeing organisations, increasing awareness for our wellbeing services and building bridges for potential future partnerships. With support from our volunteers also, we are working on a research into the needs of the community that will provide us with the information we need to build on the programme for next year.

2018 will see a continued focus on providing our community with varied, exciting and affordable classes. >> stmargaretshouse.org.uk/yoganest

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Visited the Yoganest for the first time today, for a class taken by Anna.

Brilliant, small/intimate yoga class for all levels!â&#x20AC;?

Lou, Yoganest student

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200 people attend our classes each week

OUR WELLBEING AMBASSADORS Our teachers are committed to providing low cost classes, workshops and mini yoga retreats to pass on information and tools our students need to become fit, strong and de-stress from the often hectic London lifestyle.

Whether you are looking to improve posture, build strength, improve flexibility or just take some time out for you, we have such a broad range of classes, there really is something for everyone. We currently work with

30 teachers and therapists (compared to 24 in 2016) using the space each week, with combined knowledge of over

212 years’ experience.

We welcome applications from all fitness and wellbeing practitioners living in the area, and many of our teachers started out as students and have gone on to teach in the space. ‘’I normally fidget and shout. Francesca helps me to do things with my hands and breathing.

She’s fantastic. I haven’t been getting into trouble lately’’ (Year 6 child) Clare ‘’I have tried today the yoga class and meditation with Nicola and it was fantastic!

She is an amazing teacher and I was super happy with the class, I will definitely come back! ’’ Roberta

“I really enjoy learning mindful flow yoga with Flavia. I have been practising with her for over two years and have made wonderful friends with other regulars at Yoganest.” Ha

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OUR WELLBEING CLASSES During 2017 we have researched yoga and fitness studios in the surrounding area to find that many are now branching out to offer other exercise classes that support a regular yoga practise. With that in mind, we too have extended our timetable to offer many new and exciting classes to help improve strength and fitness.

yoga

We now provide 7 different types of classes every week. These classes range in styles from Dynamic Vinyasa Flow to warm up the body, Mindful Yin Yoga to slow the body and mind, and even yoga for sufferers of lower back pain to help with the healing process. We have also introduced a 45 minute class for people wanting to squeeze in a class on their lunch break.

pilates

class is a sell out every Our new week with over 10 students turning up regularly.

We are now looking into the possibility of moving the evening class to the Hall and adding a morning slot to the timetable in order to let more members of the community combat lower back pain, improve sports performance, prevent injuries, and become more flexible.

dance

We now have 5 very successful weekly classes to offer to the community, that range from traditional 1930â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s swing dance to modern hip-hop dance for school kids. All of our dance classes are growing significantly with teachers requesting larger spaces and more slots. With up to 24 kids from the local school attending our dance classes each week, we are also looking to branch out and use the Hall in 2018.

Brand new to Yoganest, we have now started classes including Fit in 45, several a circuit style class aimed at toning the body and creating long, lean muscle, and our Ballet Fitness class which focusses on flexibility, posture, alignment, balance, coordination, core and cardio. Both of these classes are the perfect accompaniment to a regular yoga practice!

fitness

fitness practice addressing each aspect of your life - body, mind and soul. Each workout leaves you energized, mentally clear, and emotionally balanced. We are the only studio in the area to provide free Nia classes on a regular basis and as a result the class has a great following of regular students.

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Nia is more than just a workout, it is a holistic

learn share make

CREATE PLACE & COMMUNITY ARTS Community Arts at St. Margaret’s House is about meeting, making and sharing and our Create Place is a resource for artists to develop their practice and share their skills with the community. We have a workshop, bursting with donated tools and materials, as well as an upstairs studio, which is home to a group of local artists, who work in fabric, painting and paper. Throughout 2017, we hosted

more than 310 classes!

That’s almost one for every day of the year and more than half of these were free for the community!

We see the arts as a way to wellbeing, and many of the workshops and events we deliver place emphasis on a healthy mind and body. Creativity is also a path to connection, both with ourselves and the community, and the focus of many of our workshops is as much to make friends and have fun as to be creative and learn new skills.

In July, we welcomed a new Community Arts Manager, whose role encompasses the programming of our arts ventures in-house and out in the community, alongside coordinating our busy workshop and studio. We’ve extended a hand to arts initiatives both locally and across London, with plans in the coming year to form productive partnerships and bring exciting new cultural opportunities to the community!

With our research on the community being a continuous work in progress, here are just a few of our new ideas rolling in to 2018: We’ve been exploring the Bethnal Green Nature

Reserve, where Phytology have established a unique arts project connecting nature, art and the community. 2018 will see us offering the Create Place as a workshop venue, and our outdoor space as a mini-extension spot!

We’re also excited to make plans with our neighbours, the V&A Museum of Childhood to develop a series of arts tours for Bethnal Green schoolchildren at the museum, with follow-up workshops in our studio.

Following our Fashioned by Nature exhibition, we hope to extend our collaboration with London College of Fashion, especially the Fashion Futures students. With a focus on developing sustainable, ethical and community-minded arts practices, we’re excited to invite the next generation of designers to develop their ideas with us!

”Poetry and Arts are a great excuse for getting people together and exchange is the key. As a result, you can expect that every session is a source of inspiration!"

Sylvia (Interativos)

>> stmargaretshouse.org.uk/createplace 36

more than 310 classes

OUR ARTS AMBASSADORS We are proud to continue welcoming talented and experienced artists to lead a variety of workshops for the community at the Create Place.

In 2017, 42 artists and makers led sessions in our space and we’re pleased to see many of them return to work with us again into 2018! Our facilitators frequently come with formal qualifications and years of experience teaching in the arts. The Create Place offers a space for sharing their skills, as well as development of their own practice as makers. Many others come from non-traditional arts backgrounds, or have discovered their own creativity later in life, and for them we offer an opportunity to take the first steps in a creative career.

We like to think that the longevity of many of our arts facilitators – some of whom have worked with us for nearly a decade! – is testament to the welcoming nature of our workshop environment, and the ways in which St. Margaret’s House empowers makers to take steps into the community, and act as ambassadors for the creative arts. “[Working with St. Margaret’s House] has turned out to be much more than work experience for me: I enjoy the exchange of ideas, the different perspectives on problemsolving and the encouragement. Everyone shows everyone new things. Not competitive, but exciting and stimulating nevertheless.”

Amanda (Crafting is Connecting)

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OUR ARTS CLASSES We offer between 3 and 6 free arts and crafts classes every week, which are open sessions run by members of the community. These are spaces free of judgement and expectation, designed to open up a dialogue with new people and surprise the attendees with what they never knew they could do!

Our 2017 ticketed workshops have offered a hugely diverse range of opportunities to the people of Bethnal Green and beyond: this year, we’ve had…

PAINTING CLASSES

GRAPHIC DESIGN

PYROGRAPHY

TEA MAKING

BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION

NATURAL MEDICINE

LIFE DRAWING JAPANESE SHIBORI DYEING

BOOK MAKING CALLIGRAPHY SKETCHING & DRAWING

EMBROIDERY UPCYCLING

HENNA DESIGN

DECOUPAGE

SCREEN PRINTING

In April, we welcomed Moody Bright Designs to run a drop-in embroidery service for passers-by to upgrade their own clothes.

In May, we hosted a pop-up exhibition, Fashioned

by Nature, curated by artists Laure Fernandez and Maryssa Cook-Obregón, whose experiments with ethical fabrics and processes asked important questions around contemporary fashion, sustainability and the environment. Over 55 people came from across London over the course of one day to interact and react to themes around ‘Food waste’, ‘Sea story’ and ‘The invisible world’.

1,037 hours of free workshop time

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shop donate volunteer

AYOKA As second hand shopping becomes more in vogue and people move further away from fast fashion, charity shops have become a great way to shop for sustainable items without the hefty price tag.

Each year charity shops in the UK reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 3.7 million tons as well as saving hundreds of thousands of tons of textile waste.

Ayoka, our small charity shop, has been inundated with donations in all shapes and sizes from more than 500 people and our figures continue to grow! Each year we save on average 6,240kg of unwanted clothes, shoes and bags from landfill working in partnership with Rontex, a local textiles company who collects our unwanted items and recycles them. The shop attracts a variety of donations from vintage classics to designer one-offs and this new influx of great items brings a new crowd of trendy East Londoners who have turned to the unique second hand, instead of the high street. As a result, the sales have dramatically increased by 62%, further cementing Ayoka as a go-to place to shop in the Bethnal Green area.

“I love AYOKA... It’s a charming little shop where you can find some wonderful hidden treasures!”

Suzanne, volunteer ‘’Large choice of nice clothes, really pleasant place and kind people’’

This increase has provided further support for our volunteer programme. From mother and daughter duos to special needs and the unemployed, 2017 has been a fantastic year so for as

we welcomed 39 volunteers to our family.

Our wonderful charity shop is a key part of the local Bethnal Green community and we cherish our close knit team. Apart from providing opportunities for members of the community to gain work experience and skills, the shop is an interesting, enjoyable and diverse place for locals to congregate, socialise, talk about their day, shop or even just ask advice about the area.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ayoka has given me more confidence when talking to people and has really helped me to build on my selfesteem, I really like the team here.â&#x20AC;?

Leanne, volunteer

>> stmargaretshouse.org.uk/ayoka

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6,240kg of unwanted items recycled

get to know us

OUR FRIENDS

BODYWISE REALITY SHIFT COUNSELLING LONDON CITY PSYCHOTHERAPY

COMMUNITY

COUNSELLING/ WELLBEING

Providing support to like-minded charities is as important to us as our community projects.

TOWER HAMLETS FRIENDS & NEIGHBOURS

CITY & EAST LONDON BEREAVEMENT SERVICE

ENGLISH FOR ACTION QUAKER SOCIAL ACTION

ARTS

GRAND UNION ORCHESTRA NMC RECORDINGS

DESIGN

SPITALFIELDS MUSIC TALL & GINGER ARBOREAL ARCHITECTURE

SPECIALIST

INNER CITY CENTRE

FRESHWATER THEATRE COMPANY

SPICE ASHOKA

WISH

COMMUNITY PSYCHOTHERAPY NETWORK

TOWER HAMLETS COUNCIL FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE

BRITISH STAMMERING ASSOCIATION ACTION RECONCILIATION SERVICES FOR PEACE BANGLADESHI PARENTS AND CARERS ASSOCIATION SPEAK NETWORK GLOBE BENGALI MOHILA SHAMITY CHRIST MERCY GOSPEL CHURCH LTD

By offering discounted office rental as well as access to all our existing facilities, we pride ourselves in being a charitable ecosystem at the root of positive social change in East London and beyond. We are a tranquil and well-connected place to work with a brilliant selection of lunchtime or post-work opportunities to get involved in.

Our buildings are home to 25 charities and organisations that offer a wide range of services and support to the local community and beyond.

While most of these groups have been part of SMH for a few years, we were happy to expand our support for the arts by welcoming two new members this year: Spitalfields Music, who have been putting music at the heart of Tower Hamlets since 1976 and NMC Recordings , a charitable record label devoted to the promotion of contemporary classical music from the UK.

Resource centre

>> stmargaretshouse.org.uk/charitiesandgroups 48

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15b

15a 17

Chapel 21

Ol d

Fo rd

Hall Rd

23

Gallery Cafe

27 29

Main Entrance

Ayoka Yoganest Create Place

OUR TEAM This year has seen us expand our team and we are now a family of more than 160 employees, volunteers and collaborators – people from all over the world who share the same desire to be useful to the community and make a difference, however big or small.

With everyone putting forward their best skills, always committed, proactive and with creative solutions, the excitement and drive to generate positive change is higher than ever.

The trustees who served the charity during the year were as follows: Mrs Linda Ransom (Chair) // Miss Barbara Perrott (Secretary) // Mr Norbert Lieckfeldt (Hon. Treasurer) // Mr David Ransom // Mrs Shamimara Choudhury // Fr Alan Green // Ms Sandhya Sharma // Ms Orla Houston-Jibo // Ms Rachel Schon // Mr Robin Froggatt-Smith // Ms Niki Stevens // Ms Kathryn Busby // Mr Timothy Bell and Mr Thomas Lau.

Thank you!

“All of the great results of this year would not have been possible without the passion and dedication of the wonderful people who support St.Margaret’sHouse.”

Tony Hardie, Director

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GET INVOLVED 1. Join our online community 5. Plan an event Find us on Facebook , Twitter or Instagram to stay updated with news about everything that is happening at St. Margaret’s! Share the news with friends and let us know your thoughts.

We can offer free hire and can help you organise it: whether it is a spoken word event, book launch, gig, exhibition, etc.

Drop us an email at: events@stmargaretshouse.org.uk

2. Dine with us

6. Teach a wellbeing class

Just by stopping by for a coffee or a bite to eat you are not only enjoying delicious vegan treats but also helping us to fund several projects for the community!

3. Donate

We are more than happy to take unwanted items that need new homes. Clean clothing, shoes, bags and accessories, homeware, books, drop them off in the charity shop or bring them to the Gallery Café if the shop is closed. More about it at: stmargaretshouse.org.uk/ayoka/donations

Are you passionate about wellbeing and want to pass on your knowledge to the community? Send your CV, insurance, certifications and a proposal to: wellbeing@stmargaretshouse.org.uk

7. Run a creative project

We are always looking for new ideas and partners to support our arts programme.

Submit your proposal at: stmargaretshouse.org.uk/workshop-proposal

4. Volunteer

Gain some valuable retail experience by volunteering in Ayoka, our charity shop or join the office team and support our Marketing and Events team. More about the benefits and how to apply at: stmargaretshouse.org.uk/volunteer

St. Margaret’s House 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL Bethnal Green 0208 980 2092

52 All information contained in this publication is correct at time of press.

St Margaretâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s House is a member of Locality, a nationwide network for community-led organisations.

Registered Charity No. 1148832 Photos: Alia Benjamin, Greg Antony James, SMH archive, stock footage

stmargaretshouse.org.uk