Terry Waite and Judith Moran, director of QSA, outside the new building.
Terry Waite welcomes charity to new home in the neighbourhood
New offices enhance Quaker Social Action's community presence
Staff, supporters, volunteers, trustees and partners of Quaker Social Action (QSA) gathered last week to watch Terry Waite open the east London charity’s new premises in Bethnal Green. Waite, who has recently become a Quaker, spoke movingly of the problems that affect those at the bottom of the economic ladder in contemporary Britain. Drawing on his own experience, he drew parallels between being a hostage and experiencing social and financial exclusion. ‘Once you find yourself in a difficult financial situation, it can be almost impossible to pull yourself out of it.’
Waite was full of praise for QSA’s work in confronting these problems. ‘I commend QSA for the integrated work that they do which is now made more possible by being under one roof’, he said. ‘You could not support a more creative and better project.’
QSA are not moving far geographically (only two doors away from their previous office) but this move is a big one for the charity, as it allows them to bring together four of their five projects under one roof for the first time. The new space, rented from a local charitable settlement, will allow QSA to consolidate its presence in the local community.
The work that QSA does in east London is born out of a conviction that poverty is not merely material but social; and that ‘every human being can be a builder and a contributor’. The five projects, which cover housing, financial literacy, furniture re-use, employment and community regeneration, reflect the way that QSA has evolved over the past years in response to the needs of the ever-changing east London community. The event gave a chance for those who attended to reflect upon the strength of our values of social justice and equality, and to look forward to the future.
