About Us

Seven of us have lived, worked, researched and learnt much from life in the London Borough of Newham. Each has contributed in different ways to this web-site.

Colin Marchant collected all the details and put this web-site together. He has lived and worked in Newham since 1965. Christian minister in Plaistow, founder of Lawrence Hall community centre, Director of Aston Charities, researcher on faith at London School of Economics and University of East London and writer.

He has been encouraged by……

Greg Smith who  lived and worked in Newham for 27 years. Working in the Community Renewal Programme, then the Community Involvement Unit where he produced four printed editions of the Newham Directory of Religious Groups before becoming Research Fellow in the University of East London. Many of the historic introductions to each faith are taken from his Directories.

Matthew Porter has lived and worked in Newham for 30 Years. As leader of Transform Newham he has contributed the names of new groups and encouraged the emergence of this website.

Stephen Pewsey, historian, writer, secretary of Newham Historical Society.

Iona Ramsay, while living in the Borough, analysed changes in the Newham Directory of Religious Groups between 2012 and 2014 and produced 'A Contemporary Overview of Faith(s) in Newham.' Her research is included in the web-site.

Matthew Crisp rode a bike around Newham and  took photographs of all faith buildings, many of which are included in this website.

Jeremy Acott sorted out all the contributions, put together the details, inserted the pictures and made the web-site a fact, rather than a dream.