We are a welcome Space

Here at Holy Sepulchre we want to be a place of welcome for all. Alongside our various regular and occasional church services, concerts, and events, we have many regular opportunities to gather together including Musicali-tea, Communi-tea, our Friday lunchtime concert series, Saturday adult autism activity days and more!

Lots of groups and organisations join in with us in making these special, including, The Metropolitan Police Choir, Age UK, City of London Guides, Songhaven UK, students from the Guildhall School of Music, the Royal Academy of Music and more!

Here’s what we’ve up to at Communi-tea in Autumn-Winter 2024

Friday 20 September - Forget me not crochet session for Alzheimer’s Awareness and Poppy crochet session for Remembrance

Friday 27 September - Coffee with a Copper, PC Andy Jacks and PC Ellis Howe

Friday 4 October - Celebrating older people Sing-along for Silver Sunday

Friday 11 October - Poppy Watercolour Art

Friday 18 October – History Talk and short Walk with Janice Vale

Friday 25 October – Coffee with a Copper, PC Andy Jacks and PC Ellis Howe

Friday 1 November – Remembrance Month Sing-along

Friday 8 November – Break – Private event in Church

Friday 15 November – Vikings in London Talk by Gertha Hague with Danish food

Friday 22 November – Christmas Art Session and St Ceceila’s Day

Friday 29 November – Advent Sing-along

Friday 6 December - Christmas Crafting for Market on 12 December

Friday 13 December - Met Police Choir Christmas Sing-along and Christmas Jumper Day

Friday 19 December - Christmas Party and Surprise

Here’s what we’ve up to at Musiali-tea in Autumn-Winter 2024

Thursday 5 September - Lester Hillman “Newgate in September 1666 Great Fire”

Thursday 12 September - Robert Stephenson “The Curious stones of London”

Thursday 19 September - Murray Craig “The Guildhall”

Thursday 26 September – Kevin Larder “How to be a Roman Londoner”

Thursday 10 October – Richard Smart, Christan Aid, “Blood in Smithfield”

Thursday 17 October – Rob Jeffries “A London Copper’s tools”

Thursday 24 October – Andy Ellis “Tower Bridge”

Thursday 31 October – Michelle Greer “Big Ben”

Thursday 7 November – Sally Horton “London Life - Samuel Pepys in 1666”

Thursday 14 November – Kim Lovell “Unique City”

Thursday 21 November – Alison Woollard “The Barbican”

Thursday 28 November – Mario Benevetti “Dick Whittington”

Thursday 5 December – Jill Finch “The City of London before and after the Great Fire”

Musicali-Tea 2025

Thursday 9 January - Robert Stephenson, Guide 

Thursday 16 January - Murray Craig, Guide 

Thursday 23 January – Kim Lovell, Guide 

Thursday 30 January – Andy Ellis, Guide 

Thursday 6 February – Alison Woollard 

Thursday 13 February – Sally Horton, Guide 

Thursday 20 February – Hugh Dennis 

Thursday 27 February -  

Thursday 6 March – Nikki Druce, Guide 

Thursday 13 March – Richard Smart, Guide, Christain Aid 

Thursday 20 March – David Evans 

Thursday 27 March – Mario Beneventi 

Thursday 3 April – Lester Hillman 

Thursday 10 April – Michelle Greer, Guide 

Community Review

January – December 2024​

We welcomed 1477 People at 42 Musicali-Tea events and 195 people at 14 Communi-Tea events​

There has been a holistic cross-over of Communities all supporting each other:​

Musicali-Tea and Communi-Tea guests have merged​

Communi-Tea guests now attend Music at Hill​

LAG guests attend and volunteer at Communi-Tea​

Music at Hill Committee members support Communi-Tea with piano singalongs, history talks and support the HAC​

2 HAC residents attended Communi-Tea event and engaged in art/music.

Join us!

If you would like to join us or find out more about any of our events, visit our ‘What’s on’ page using the button below, contact our Community Development Worker, Sarah Radford, sarah.radford@hsl.church, or pop in and speak to Fr. Nick or one of the team.

Get involved!

Why not come along and get involved? Would you like to volunteer to help at one of activities? Please email our Community Development Worker, Sarah Radford, sarah.radford@hsl.church, or visit our volunteering page. Sarah, Fr Nick, and the team look forward to welcoming you and getting to know you.

We are proud to be one of the first 100 Mayor of London’s Dementia Friendly venues.

We are grateful for those who have, or are, financially supporting us, including The Culture Mile BID, Landsec, GenerosCity, M&G, The Thomas Franks Foundation and Barchester’s Charitable Foundation.

If you would like to support our projects financially, please visit our giving page, or email Fr. Nick nick@hsl.church.

MUSICALI-TEA SUMMER SEASON 2024 REVIEW

The Musicali-Tea Summer Season ran from 18 April – 25 July 2024 providing a vital service for those in need of a welcoming space.  A weekly music, history and sandwich lunch event for 25 guests at Holy Sepulchre.  Oversubscribed weekly, with 5 spaces reserved to accommodate this.

447 guests attended (79 new attendees since last season)

44 Volunteers supported (3 from our volunteering poster advert, 6 stayed on after volunteering at the Hygiene Bank, 1 community officer from the local construction site, the Met police helped serve tea/coffee before performing).  Our regular volunteers have a growing space on our notice board in the harmony zone and have all signed up to share skills for Communi-Tea.

2 new guests were reluctant to join, requesting to sit on the side, they now sit with other guests and will be attending Communi-Tea to share and teach their crochet skills.

Walk-in guests who had appointments at Barts Hospital were encouraged to stay and listen to music, 2 now attend weekly as part of their healing journey.

In June we collaborated with Songhaven (Dementia Friendly singing artists) to support National Carers Week.  Local resident carers attended and have returned.

We provided themed weeks for St George’s Day in April, Action Dementia in May, D-Day in June and have plans for Alzheimer’s month in September, November Remembrance.  Guests have commented verbally that they like to see this.

Our community relationships continue to grow, we have good connections with Age UK, City Carers, Holborn Community Centre, Fleet Street Quarter, Shoe Lane, Barbican and Guildhall Libraries, the Culture Mile Bid and the Museum of London.  ThamesReach homeless centre have visited a Musicali with one of their residents.  PC Andy Jacks, our designated Ward Officer, will be attending in September to chat with guests.

Guest Feedback:

Combination of face-to-face chat and nice food – a real pick me up

A diverse group of people who come together in a safe and inclusive setting

Made me very welcome, a hidden gem of a safe space.

Lovely welcome and event, will come every week.

The singing for me and the excellent care of us, thank you

Thank you so much for welcoming us today and being so supportive. It was a wonderful event to celebrate carers week. Due to her mental health problems my daughter has not been able to attend any concerts or plays, she used to go to regularly. This was the longest seated event she has attended in the last 5 years so I appreciate that I was able to bri

Public transport

We are fortunate to be surrounded by excellent public transport options.  The nearest stops are:

Bus – the number 8, 25, 46, 242, and 521 buses stop outside the church

Thameslink – we are opposite the north entrance of the City Thameslink

Central Line – St. Paul’s tube station is a 5 minute walk

District (south) and Circle Lines – Blackfriars is a 7 minute walk

District (north), Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, and (soon) Crosslink – Farringdon station is a 7 minute walk

Car – Smithfield Car Park (£3/hr) is a 5 minute walk away and on a Sunday there are unregulated yellow lines and parking bays near by.  Driving into the City midweek is not for the fa int-hearted though…

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