Brunel, London
The Brunel Estate at the northern end of Westminster borough is representative of many of the ‘forgotten estates’ of inner London. Every day hundreds of thousands of people whizz by it at great speed as they commute in and out of London with absolutely no knowledge of its existence.
In Brunel classic sixties concrete maisonette apartments stack on top of one another, accessible by high level walkways. You can actually walk from one end of the estate to the other without ever needing to touch ground! One of the sad things about the estate is that its very real poverty sits only a stone’s throw away from one of London’s most salubrious neighbourhoods – Notting Hill.
Brunel is home to about 3500 people of a very wide ethnic diversity. There are a high percentage of young people and families, many of whom live in very cramped conditions. It ranks in the highest 10% deprivation levels in the UK, largely because of very low incomes and overcrowding. Despite all the benefits and excitement of living in this area of London, it can be very difficult for low income families, and especially the young people, not least living alongside such extreme affluence and very obvious luxury.
“WE’RE EXCITED TO RECRUIT AN EDEN TEAM LEADER AND EDEN VOLUNTEERS WHO CAN TAKE THIS WORK TO THE NEXT LEVEL. COULD THIS BE YOU?”
This new Eden team is in partnership with St Stephen’s Church located a stones throw away. St Stephen’s has drawn in a wide variety of people from very different Christian traditions, economic and social backgrounds and is one of the few places in the area where rich and poor truly relate. St. Stephen’s is also a very mission-focused church so many people who attend on a Sunday may not even consider themselves Christians – but they are on a journey. The church building hosts a wide range of activities each week and is a busy hub at the centre of the community.
In recent years the church has made some progress on the Brunel Estate but would love to do more. We now have a number of people from the estate who worship at the church and two part-time employees who are resident on the estate. We have built relationships with key local agencies and have been a part of their summer event for the past five years, sung carols on the estate, and hosted events relating to the estate at the church.
We are looking for a team leader. Click here and take a look at the job description if you are interested.
For further info contact London’s Regional Director, Daniel Haigh: london@eden-network.org
