St Francis' Family Centre
St Francis' Family Centre in Poplar (in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets) was established in 1986 by the Catholic Children's Society (Westminster). The children and families attending St Francis' Family Centre come from low income families, many live in substandard accommodation where economic and social pressure have resulted in family break up, with a large number of children from single parent households. Across Tower Hamlets as a whole in 2007, two-thirds of children were living in "income-deprived families" making it the most deprived borough in England on that measure. 77% of children living in Poplar and Canning Town live in low-income families where no one is working more than 16 hours a week or the family is receiving the full amount of Working Tax Credit, according to October 2008 figures from the Campaign to End Child Poverty. St Francis' plays a key role in the community. It offers parents and carers practical and effective help in withstanding the pressures on family life and children's development from substandard housing, the lack of green open spaces, high unemployment and the poor health levels that prevail in Tower Hamlets. A major element in St Francis' success is that child support is provided alongside other family support services. For example, by offering services which encompass an after-school club as well as welfare rights advice, we help to avoid situations where the benefits from attending the after-school club are dissipated through children returning to homes where financially induced family pressures exist solely because parents are not in a position to find out what welfare entitlements are available to them. We continuously seek feedback and opinions from our service users to help us tailor the services we provide so that they accurately reflect the needs of the local communities served. Involving our families empowers them as they play an integral part of the centre's success. This plays an important role in restoring the self-esteem that is often lost through having to struggle to survive for years on a low income.
Our services
St Francis' Family Centre, Flora Close (Off Ricardo Street), Poplar, London E14 6EQ
Telephone 020 7987 8257 Fax 020 7538 4872
To see a St Francis' Family Centre map, please click here. For help planning a visit by public transport, we recommend using the Transport for London journey planner at www.tfl.gov.uk/journeyplanner.