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St Philip’s Camberwell

The Church Building for St Philip’s

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Looking into our memorial garden

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Inside the Garden

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Thank you for taking an interest in our parish; maybe you will be our new Parish Priest!

We hope you will find much in this profile to interest you and please do contact the Archdeacon if

you would like any further information.

Our Church

We are a growing Church community, located in the middle of the City of London Avondale

Square Estate in South Bermondsey, just off the Old Kent Road. Our active congregation is made

up of people of all ages and backgrounds, sharing the love of Christ and serving the local

community. We are proud of our reputation of being an open and friendly Church, and we work

hard to include everyone so that all who come can play a full part. Our worship is of the Anglo-

Catholic tradition of the Church of England, traditional but with modern forms of worship and

songs. Some members were born in Avondale Square and have lived here all their lives; others

have arrived only recently from countries all over the world. We are very different but united in our

passion to worship God and follow in the way of Jesus Christ. We aspire to be a Church where all

feel at home, united in faith, love and friendship.

Our Building

The church was built in 1963, as part of the redevelopment of the Avondale Square, to the designs

of Nugent Cachemaille-Day, and replaces an earlier church bombed in World War II. The building

is essentially rectangular in plan, with the main concourse in the form of an octagon set within it;

so that the entrance hall, lady-chapel and vestry areas are formed by the triangular spaces

remaining in the corners. These latter areas have flat asphalt finished roofs and also has a linked

corridor between the main Church and the much older pre-war Church Hall on the north east side.

This separate building has tiled roof slopes. The main Church Roof consists of a copper covered

dome surmounted by an open belfry with exposed bell and cross.

Our Worship

Sunday morning mass is (usually) sung. Recently the main mass settings being sung by Gregory

Murray and David Thorne, and accompanied by the organ. The tradition of having a sung mass

has, and is, embraced by clergy and congregation. Four hymns are also sung, which are usually

taken from New English Hymnal, and chosen by reference to RSCM’s recommendations. When

children’s mass takes places, hymns will therefore be chosen accordingly, sometimes from various

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hymns books in addition to New English Hymnal. During Lent and Advent, use has been made of

different mass settings, by various composers.

Our Community and Context:

Avondale Square

Avondale Square Estate is housing constructed between 1958 and 1962 and is the largest of City

of London’s housing estates. The area the estate occupies belongs to the City since 1251, and

was originally known as Twelve Acres. The estate has 640 homes including three high-rise blocks,

several low-rise blocks and some sheltered housing. There is a small shop and substantial areas

of informal green space with paths running through it. It was opened by the Lord Mayor on 26

October 1962.

Set in mature secluded gardens, Harman Close has 39 large bedsit flats and eight one-bedroom

flats, offering sheltered accommodation built on the ground, first and second floors.

Schools in the parish and area near by

• Cobourg Primary School

• Boutcher C of E Primary School

• Phoenix Primary School

• Grange Primary School

• Harris Girls at Bermondsey secondary school

• St Saviour’s & St Olave’s C of E secondary school

• City of London Academy

Neighbouring Churches in our Deanery

1. St Anne & St Augustine,

2. St James with Christ Church & St Crispin,

3. St Katherine with St Bartholomew,

4. St Mary Magdalen with St Olave,

5. St John & St Luke

6. Holy Trinity,

7. St Mary with All Saints.

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Local Transport in the area

There is easy access to public transport and local amenities including a local supermarket, lots of

buses to Central London and surrounding areas.

▪ Bermondsey Station: 6 minutes by car, 16 minutes bus ride,

▪ Peckham Rye Station: 12 minutes by car, 17 minutes bus ride,

▪ Queens Road Peckham Station: 7 minutes by car, 17 minutes bus ride,

▪ Canada Water Station: 8 minutes by car, 22 minutes bus ride,

▪ South Bermondsey Station: 4 minutes by car, 17 minutes bus ride,

▪ Elephant & Castle Station: 7 minutes by car, 12 minutes bus ride,

▪ Waterloo Station: 12 minutes by car, 18 minutes bus ride,

▪ London Bridge Station: 11 minutes by car, 22 bus ride,

▪ Victoria Station: 16 minutes by car, 32 minutes bus ride

There are very limited parking spaces in many stations and some are in the congestion charge

and ULVE zone.

Old Kent Road

The Old Kent Road runs through our parish. It is an ancient and busy, multi-lane, highway. It is a

very important road for our area and for the whole London Borough of Southwark. We have

included it here because it is changing and it will bring big changes to our parish. We know that

we need to be ready for those changes as a church.

History of Old Kent Road

Old Kent Road is a major thoroughfare in South East London, passing through the London

Borough of Southwark. It is now part of A2, the major road from London to Dover.

The history of Old Kent Road stretches back from more than 2,000 years.

It’s one of Britain’s oldest roads and its origins can be traced back to an ancient route once used

by Celts. Since Roman times, the road has been the primary route between London and Kent

coast too. Victorian Londoners knew the Old Kent Road as a place of industry; associated with the

docks, the railway and South Metropolitan Gasworks. In the late Victorian years, the street would

secure its place in Cockney folklore with the 1890’s Music Hall song. In the early 1800s, London

had begun expanding rapidly, radiating out along its primary arterial roads, terraced houses,

schools, churches, pubs, gardens and industry were built on farmland, and shops. Well into the

1900s, people would travel down the Road to Kent in the summer and take their holiday picking

hops for beer in the Kent fields as they tried to get some country air in the middle of a growing city.

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Old Kent Road and the area

Old Kent Road’s central London location and its unique character make it a great place to live,

work and do business. It runs from Elephant and Castle to Peckham. It is under three miles long,

passes through Bermondsey and Walworth and leads to New Cross, Deptford and Lewisham.

More Than 400 businesses are based here including: retail, servicing, industrial, and

manufacturing, utilities, education, faith, arts, leisure, transport and wholesale. Although 9,000

people work in the Old Kent Road, the area still has huge potential to grow in terms of jobs,

business and new homes. It is growing in strength with a 20-year programme of investments that

will deliver real, tangible benefits to the local community. The Road will develop its thriving

business, arts and cultural communities and be transformed as a place to live, work and visit.

35,000 people live along the three-mile length of Old Kent Road and its local neighbourhood.

The regeneration programme presents a unique chance to tackle Southwark’s housing crisis -

20,000 high quality, new homes will be built to suit people from all walks of life and 35% of all the

new housing will be affordable – around 7,000 new affordable homes including 5,000 at social

rent.

Development

• Works are underway at London Square, Bermondsey - will comprise over 400 1, 2 and 3

bedroom homes, both private and affordable, flexible workspaces for small businesses and

art studios in a collection of heritage and contemporary buildings with garden squares, with

attractive landscaping and walkways connecting to the surrounding streets.

• 40% affordable housing in total across the whole scheme

• Ruby Triangle includes a new park and technology hub

• The Continuum scheme will create more than 1000 new homes

• Devonshire Square will be a new public space for Old Kent Road

• The Bakerloo line extension from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham is fundamental to these

plans. Extending the tube line and building three new stations along the Old Kent Road are

expected to provide a big boost to the local economy. It will create new jobs and enable

many more new homes to be built at a relatively fast rate.

Those plan to get a go ahead and enough funding; people need to show their support. For

more information see www.backthebakerloo.org.uk

Congregation thoughts

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Here are some ideas from the congregation about the future of our church

➢ I would like to see St Philip’s to be the church for the estate. I’d like to see understanding of

needs e.g. debt counselling and the church providing for those needs. And I’d like the

residents to want to come to services. I also would like the new priest to reach out to new

residents in the “Ruby triangle”.

➢ Bring and share evenings. Visits to parishioners who are sick. Early Eucharist for those

going to work before morning mass. More people involved in reading etc. Regular outreach

to neighbourly estate. Inform schools in the area about church and invite children’s and

families to St Philip’s.

➢ Sunday evening services, evensong/evening prayer weekly or monthly. Discussion groups

– certain Bible readings or other topics. Christmas and summer fairer. Choir / singing group

for children and young people.

➢ I would like to see more people and a food bank.

➢ Bigger number in services, more services on Sundays.

➢ More people, food bank (weekly or monthly).

➢ More people offering to help out in the church duties like gardening, Sunday school,

services.

➢ Arrange youth services.

➢ I want the Church to be full of children and teenagers.

➢ More activities for younger members of church, messy church

➢ More programmes for communities, youth club

➢ Someone who can build up a community choir again.

➢ More people participating in the mass especially on Sundays.

➢ Bible study lessons, Evangelism events, new play area for children, new bench cushion,

and more youth activities.

➢ Community embraced set up, reaching out to members of public, helping people back on

their feet.

➢ Updated hall for renting, unity with congregation, regular organist.

➢ I would like the priest to be hard working, loving, giving and full of grace.

➢ A good teacher with a ready ear, prepared to be moulded by new experience here.

Who we are looking for

✓ Is a prayerful and spiritual person, showing his or her own life the outworking of faith.

✓ Is able with imagination and enthusiasm, to help us to attract new people, especially

children and young people, including further developing school links.

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✓ Is skilled and practical leader and communicator who has the confidence to listen and

respond to the views and ideas of others, to delegate and to identify and develop latent

potential

✓ Will be able to engage with people from all backgrounds in our community, to build the

place of the Church in our community.

✓ Is comfortable in a range of worship style, and willing to encourage us into trying new ways,

embracing the risk.

✓ Accepts the challenge and opportunities presented by the new housing developments.

✓ Will explore how we might interface more effectively with businesses and other

organisations in our parish.

✓ Has the potential to use social media.

✓ Someone who can lead and care for the congregation

✓ Someone who will work collaboratively with new people if we work with another church to

receive new members.

What can we offer?

1. Our congregation is friendly, relaxed and welcoming.

2. We are receptive to change if it is introduced well.

3. The church is located in an area where there is excellent transport links

4. The tangible quality of worship, musical tradition (voice and organ)

5. The rebuilt church itself is not like any other in the vicinity (octagonal, many beautiful

features incl. windows and painted ceiling.

6. The Vicarage is spacious, in good condition and with a good garden.

What we have done:

This is what we have done in recent years:

• Youth groups

• Playgroups for under 5’s

• Trips to Carroty Woods

• Good relations with previous vicars

• A carol services is usually held annually, and has included members of the clergy and the

congregation singing solo

• On Holy week, daily services were held, a lot of which is sung

• Morning and evening prayer, once a week morning mass, twice a week evening masses

• Bible study

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• Community Choir has sung in some services, for instance on Remembrance Sunday and at

the annual carol service. Community Choir rehearse in church and also performs locally,

such as at Harman close and Imperial War Museum.

• We hosted Ropes Project for 4 years

• We held Christmas lunch in the church hall for lonely people.

• We have done collections of clothes for charities.

• We work closely with Charities like Big Local and Link Age Southwark.

Where we are now

As we are in interregnum we are now only able to have Sunday masses in the morning.

Our vision for the future

In the future we really want the church to grow in numbers and resume most of the services,

groups and projects that we did in the past. Hopefully we will be blessed with new vicar who has

good ideas how to reach out to people and someone who we can rely on.

What we are missing

We know that, as a church community, we have relied on our clergy to make sure that things

happen. We are a small congregation now and we lack the resources to do things ourselves. But

we know that if the church is to flourish, we need to work to build our own capacity and to welcome

new people. We cannot rely on the clergy for everything – but we are not sure how to change!

Fabric report 2016-2019

❖ The Church, The Sacristy, The Cross and outside the Church were painted recently

❖ The spikes were added to the Cross to keep pigeons away

❖ All electrical works were completed and a safety certificate was obtained,

❖ We PAT tested all the electrical devices.

❖ Both boilers for the Church and The Hall were replaced, with the more efficient

system and timer.

❖ The trees around the Church and The Memorial garden were cut back

❖ The notice board outside the Church was restored so now it can be used to advertise

church services and other functions.

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❖ Secondary glazing was installed in the hall and the side room so it makes it more

efficient in the winter for the hall to be used.

❖ The church is equipped with male, female and disabled toilets, large kitchen with big

cooker and microwave.

Finance

Report from John

St Philips Camberwell Financial Summary

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Current Situation

As of the 7th February we currently have £2,468 in our current account and £1,492 in our savings account. We are

currently holding c.£1,750 on behalf of a grant we have received but not yet spent. We have no other debts.

Parish Share

Our Parish Share in 2018 was £16,437. In 2019 we contributed £6,079 against a pledge of £16,437. We have pledged

£5,400 for 2020.

Giving

Our total giving was an average of c.£800 per month in 2019 although this was down from c.£900 in 2017.

Giving in cash has fallen whilst giving by bank transfer has remained steady.

Accounts

2018 saw total expenses of £51,483 during the year on receipts of £49,876. Therefore, we ran a deficit of £1,607 for

the year.

Our major income sources were £17,000 in giving and £15,000 in receipts from hall bookings. Our largest

expenditures were Parish Share at £16,437, church running expenses at £13,035 and church repairs and

maintenance at £13,055 (see below).

Receipts Summary 2018

Row Labels Unrestricted f Restricted Total

ALL OTHER GIVING / VOLUNTARY RECEIPTS 17,227 5,724 22,951

COLLECTIONS AT SERVICES 2,492 2,492

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Jan

17

Mar

17

May

17

Jul 1

7

Sep

17

No

v 1

7

Jan

18

Mar

18

May

18

Jul 1

8

Sep

18

No

v 1

8

Jan

19

Ma

r 1

9

May

19

Jul 1

9

Sep

19

No

v 1

9

£ Monthly Giving

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Aug Nov Dec

Monthly Giving

2017 2018 2019

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Jan

17

Mar

17

May

17

Jul 1

7

Sep

17

No

v 1

7

Jan

18

Mar

18

May

18

Jul 1

8

Sep

18

No

v 1

8

Jan

19

Ma

r 1

9

May

19

Jul 1

9

Sep

19

No

v 1

9

Monthly Giving by Bank % total

-

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

Jan17

Mar17

May17

Jul17

Sep17

Nov17

Jan18

Mar18

May18

Jul18

Sep18

Nov18

Jan19

Mar19

May19

Jul19

Sep19

Nov19

Type of Giving

Bank Planned Envalopes Loose Cash Envalopes

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GIFT AID RECOVERED 1,174 1,174

INCOME FROM INVESTMENTS 19 19

OTHER RECEIPTS 21 139 160

PLANNED GIVING 7,643 7,643

RECEIPTS FROM CHURCH ACTIVITIES 15,438 15,438

Grand Total 44,013 5,863 49,876

Payments Summary

Row Labels Unrestricted Restricted Total

ALL OTHER PAYMENTS (1,142) (1,142)

CHURCH RUNNING EXPENSES (13,035) (13,035)

CLERGY & STAFFING (1,739) (1,739)

PARISH SHARE (16,437) (16,437)

PAROCHIAL FEES (30) (30)

HALL RUNNING EXPENSES (76) (76)

CHURCH REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE (13,055) (13,055)

MISSION GIVING AND DONATIONS (2,770) (3,199) (5,969)

Grand Total (48,284) (3,199) (51,483)

Capital Expenditure

Over the last three years we have run a number of capital expenditure projects to improve the church and church

hall. We have not major maintenance or improvement project identified at the current time. These have been

funded through either reserve, grants or a combination.

Item Cost Year completed

New boilers for church and church hall, replacement of radiators in church hall and

£12,100 2018

Painting church £900 2018

Painting church hall £900 2018

Secondary glazing in church hall £4,200 2019

Electrical works including removal of redundant electricity meters

£1,600 2018

Tree maintenance £540 2018

The Vicarage

The Vicarage is next door to the church. It has large rooms and a garden.

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