Toynbee Hall works alongside people facing poverty and injustice to build a fairer and happier East London.
Based in the East End since 1884, the charity offers high quality, timely services, informed and shaped by the people and communities they work with.
Their vision is ‘a future free from poverty’. The charity’s advice services, youth and older people’s projects and financial inclusion work are all geared towards supporting members of the local community, not only in times of crisis but on a longer term basis by providing them with the skills and support they need to open up access to opportunities.
In 2021 the Randal Charitable Foundation provided grant funding for the recruitment of 20 young volunteers to join their Intergenerational Buddy Scheme, which will lead to the befriending of 80 older community members in Tower Hamlets.
When Toynbee Hall first opened its doors, the need for help and support was greater in London than almost anywhere else in the UK.
135 years later and the community in which they work remains one of the most unequal in the UK; with 44% of people in Tower Hamlets still living in poverty, the charity’s work is as vital today as it was then.
Their story is one of pioneering new solutions for poverty, working within the community and giving people the skills and knowledge they need to help themselves, while working to influence opinion and to change the systems and policies that affect people today.
The charity’s services are free of charge, and every year their residential and non-residential volunteers give over 4,000 hours of their time to deliver services and engage with communities across Tower Hamlets and beyond.
To find out more about Toynbee Hall visit here
