Reverend Andrew Williams reflects on five years of community building in Tottenham Hale
By Reverend Andrew Williams

When The Engine Room opened its doors in Tottenham Hale in October 2017, it was the first new Anglican church in London for over forty years. Now you might be thinking, why do we need a new church building? There are more than enough around London already! But The Engine Room is a new model of church, based on an ancient idea. The medieval church in England was the centre of village life and usually the only decent building for miles, used for everything that went on from markets, and meetings to festivals and parties – not just services on a Sunday. The Engine Room is based on that model, it is a community centre for everyone regardless of whether you are a person of faith or not. The Engine Room was built to be used every day, but also as a place for special occasions and significant life events, a hub for the community to use and enjoy.

We have a vibrant café, serving amazing food, a wonderful nursery catering for local families, and that is before we get on to the numerous groups and activities that run from our spaces. There are parent and toddler groups, after school clubs for kids, you can learn street dance on a Saturday morning while people over 50 can participate in an art group, a walking group or gain computer and technology skills as well. For the teenagers we have a youth club, a homework club, a group for teenage girls and a boxing club starting in October. Our friends from Tottenham Mosque hold their Friday prayers in the centre each week.

Our community work and church began in a borrowed space on Hale Village in 2013, and as the new community of Tottenham Hale grew and developed we have tried to do the same with the help of some amazing local people who are passionate about Tottenham. We have built up some brilliant partnerships in that time, meaning that as we step into the next five years in our building, we are looking to develop even more opportunities for the local community. If you have some ideas about what’s needed in Tottenham Hale, come and chat with us, we would love to see what’s possible.

On Sunday, 2nd October at 11am our church community of St Francis – the heartbeat of everything that goes on at The Engine Room – will be celebrating our fifth birthday with the internationally renowned speaker John Bell from the Iona Community. Everyone is welcome to join us to help us celebrate all that has been achieved. However, if a church service isn’t your thing, then join us for lunch afterwards from 12-30pm. Everyone is welcome at The Engine Room.

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