Published: Tuesday 26 May 2020
Psalm 46.1-2, ‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.’
As faith communities across Kensington and Chelsea, we are united in our approach and commitment to helping our communities through this challenging period of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As places of worship remain closed, we are embracing technology and new ways to reach out to our congregations. We have been encouraged to see so many people joining us digitally for our online services especially those who live further afield and who would not usually be able to attend our services. We will explore opportunities beyond the lock down period for developing this further.
Some of our faith and church schools remain open for children of key workers and those at risk while others are hosting virtual schools to support their students, whether it’s with the national curriculum, collective worship, Quran studies or other educational needs.
We recognise the hard work and dedication of many of our local residents and organisations in getting essential food and medicines to our most vulnerable residents and we too are working alongside them. This may be by making and delivering food, reaching out for a friendly conversation, providing a listening ear, ensuring that the homeless have a cooked meal or collecting vital prescriptions.
There are many acts of kindness being shown by people of all faiths and those of no faith as we stand together, committed to continuing this work for as long as we are needed. We welcome the bi-weekly meeting hosted by Kensington and Chelsea Council which enables us to share experiences and information that we can pass on to our communities. This has been invaluable.
We know how hard isolation can be for many people and that there will be many more challenges ahead but we are doing all we can to ensure that we emerge from this crisis, a better-connected and inter-dependent community in which we look out for those in need around us.
It is our shared experience that faith help build our resilience in times of crisis and calls us to respond in ways that we could not otherwise imagine. We wish to use that comfort to bring compassion to others in our communities.
Al Manaar The Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre
All Saints Notting Hill
Area Dean of Kensington,
Baraka Community Association
Carmelite Church
Central Gurdwara (Khalsa Jatha)
Chelsea Muslim Community
Chelsea Old Church
Christ Church Chelsea
Christ Church Kensington
Church of Our Most Holy Redeemer & St Thomas More
Churches Together Notting Hill
Fetter Lane Moravian Church
Holland Park Benefice
Holy Trinity, Sloane Square
HTB Brompton Road (Holy Trinity)
Kensington Council of Churches
Kensington United Reformed Church
Latymer Community Church
Notting Hill Methodist Church
Our Lady of Dolours (Fulham Road RCDOW)
Our Lady of Victories
St Andrew’s Church Chelsea
St Andrews Fulham
St Barnabas Church
St Clements Church
St Columbas Church of Scotland
St Cuthbert
St Francis Of Assisi R C Church
St George’s Church, Campden Hill
St John the Baptist, Holland Road
St John's Chelsea
St John's Notting Hill
St Mary Abbots (Church of England Parish Church)
St Mary's of the Angels
St Marys Roman Catholic Church
St Peter's Church Notting Hill
St Philip’s Church
St Thomas Kensal Town
The Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue Holland Park
Westbourne Grove Church