SOMETIMES IT TAKES AGES for the scars of the past to heal. St Luke’s Church, Miilwall (in the Isle of Dogs) was bombed out during the Second World War. Since then the community has carried on with a make-shift chapel, tacked on to the church hall. This was never meant to be a permanent solution. The whole complex is nearly derelict, and the many areas of flat roof all leak in the rain.

As the new century began the Millwall community decided that it was time to sort out St Luke’s, to provide a wonderful new centre which would be a hive of activity for the community, permanent homes for Docklands Outreach ( a charity giving help and advice to young people) and the Millwall Bangladeshi Association (a cultural and religious organisation for Bengali residents) and a beautiful new church.

Below are some architect's impressions on how the new Church and Community Centre will look. It is an ambitious project that is estimated to cost £2.7 Million. We have raised £2 Million by negotiating a lease with a local Property Development Company to build affordable housing on part of the site. But we still require more funding and invite you to give to our Appeal to make St Luke’s once again a centre for the whole community, where young and old can meet, share activities, discuss and debate the issues and ideas that shape their lives.

Click here to make a donation through JustGiving.

View from the south east, across Alpha Grove, showing the church, and beyond it the community centre and then the One Housing Group social housing. The existing war memorials will be displayed on the southern side

from the north east across Alpha Grove, showing the east end of the church and its ‘cross of light’, and to the north the new parsonage

View from the south west across Havannah St, One Housing’s social housing, the community centre and the new church

View from due east, the church and new parsonage.

Interior of the church, looking east

Interior cutaway of the church, seen from the north west, showing use of stained glass reclaimed from the present St Luke’s