Support St Martin's

In order to continue as a church open every day for prayer, for visitors, for homeless people and for concerts we must continue to seek support from our friends and supporters. We have to raise every penny we spend and we hope we can rely on your generosity to continue to sustain our growing programmes:

St Martin’s Church – St Martin’s is a welcoming, hospitable and vibrant community with worship at its heart. We strive to be a place where diversity of Christian understanding can flourish and whilst we explore ways to sustain and enhance our life together, we also engage with the issues of the day, build international relations and join in peaceful dialogue with all faiths. Our Vergers, Stewards and lay chaplains play a pivotal role in retaining our openness, providing tours, guidance and raising awareness of the spiritual and historical importance of the church buildings.

Church Music - Music has always played a central part in the life of St Martin’s. There has been an organ here since before 1500, Handel and a young Mozart played here and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields was founded here in the 1950s by Sir Neville Marriner and the then Master of Music John Churchill. The Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields sings at regular and seasonal services and also performs concerts at St Martin's, external venues of note and through regular broadcasts on BBC Radio 4. Most recently, the Choir has recorded a CD, 'Christmas at St Martin-in-the-Fields' and completed a tour of Ireland.

Exhibitions – St Martin’s plays a pivotal role in raising public awareness about global issues, equality, cultural diversity and art. Central to this wider engagement is our varied and expansive exhibitions programme through which we offer free space for charities such as Refugee Week and Water Aid and play host to major London initiatives including the popular and thought provoking Fourth Plinth installations.

Music Concerts - At the heart of London, St Martin-in-the-Fields has been at the centre of the city’s music making for over 250 years. Each year we hold over 360 concerts engaging around 130,000 visitors. The evening concerts provide a vital source of income for the church and our free lunchtime concerts a central stage for young and emerging talented artists. In addition, for over 5 years we have introduced young people to classical music through our special Mini Maestro Family Concerts, attracting an audience of over 600 children throughout 2009.

Protecting our heritage – Since the Renewal of the buildings at St Martin’s, it is difficult to imagine them coming into disrepair, however, this is what will happen if we do not continually maintain the buildings and upgrade facilities as needed. It is anticipated that St Martin’s will need at least £100,000 per annum for ongoing maintenance and further substantial sums in the future for major works. We are keen to build an endowment to protect our future and have already received a pledge of support from one of our most valued supporters across the Atlantic.

People in need – Dick Sheppard was the first Vicar at St Martin’s to open the doors to soldiers coming to and from the front line in World War I. Today we continue the ethos of inclusiveness, welcoming people who are in transition and find a temporary home with us in a process of moving on, whether homeless, seeking asylum or new migrants. Through our charities we meet the needs of vulnerable people in the UK, for example, the Christmas Appeal raises funds for services to the homeless and individuals in crisis. In addition, the church gives to a range of international mission and overseas development work.

Click here for information about special projects at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

You can donate online »

or print this form and send your contribution to St Martin-in-the-Fields Development Trust, 6 St Martin's Place, London WC2N 4JJ.