Safeguarding at St. Margaret's

We take the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults very seriously at St. Margaret's.

All of our children and youth leaders have current and official safeguarding checks (DBS) and the PCC has adopted the Diocese of Southwark’s Safeguarding policy as set out in ‘A Safe Church’.

Our key staff have also undertaken Safeguarding training and we are committed to remaining up to date with current good practice.

If you have any concerns about safeguarding at St Margaret’s, then please do please contact our Parish Safeguarding Officer, Samantha Esparon

Please find below a list of telephone numbers where you can get help with child and adult safeguarding issues:

NSPCC Child Protection Helpline: 0808 800 5000 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are worried about a child.
Child-line: 0800 1111 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are a child or young person and are worried about anything.
National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 (lines free and open 24 hours). Phone if you are experiencing domestic abuse.
Samaritans Helpline: 116 123 (open 24 hours). Phone if you feel you are struggling to cope and need someone to talk to.
Action on Elder Abuse Helpline: 080 8808 8141 ( free phone Monday to Friday 9- 5pm).

Diocesan Safeguarding Team Contact Telephone Numbers:

For safeguarding concerns out of office hours, please call 020 3874 6743. If you have urgent concerns about the safety of a child or vulnerable adult, please contact the police.

Pamela Chisholm, Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
020 7939 9423
07982 279713

Marie Daly, Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
020 7939 9441
07946 255295

Louise Vernon, Assistant Diocesan Safeguarding Adviser
0207 939 9462
07946 255622

Zoe Skilton, Safeguarding Administrator
020 7939 9476

Link to current edition of A Safe Church

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here

Planning your Visit

New to Church?

The following information is specifically for those planning a visit, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect on a Sunday morning.

Where and When
We meet at St Margaret’s Church for our Sunday Service starting at 10am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you get a parking space and find somewhere to sit before the service begins. When you arrive, you will be greeted by someone on our Sides Team, please make yourself known, that you are visiting for the first time so that we may give you a welcome pack.
We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the service from 11.15am. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to find your bearings. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Sides Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is also a disabled toilet and baby changing facilities.

Our Service
The main service begins at 10am with a warm welcome from one of our team members. We have a mixture of services, comprising of Morning Prayer, Morning Worship, All Together and Holy Communion. Our music is organ and band. We typically have 3 or 4 songs. We then share news and notices, usually about what’s going on in the life of the church. One of our leaders will then give a sermon that is bible based and that we can apply to our everyday life. We then finish with a final worship song. There is always an opportunity to receive private prayer at the end of the service.

What about my children?
We have a great programme lined up for children of all ages:

Creche (0 months to 2 years). Children under 6 months are welcome but must be accompanied by their parent/carer at all times.
Bubbles (3-5 years)
Juniors (6-11 years)
Ignite (11-14 years)
Youth (14+ years)

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome, songs, and notices. We really value worshipping God all together as a family. At the end of the notices someone will announce that it’s time for the younger members to go to their various groups. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy.

The children’s group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, testimonies, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games, and free play. Please pick your children up as soon as the service finishes, usually around 11.15am.

Getting Connected

Small Groups
While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week, some afternoons, and some evenings. Check out Small Groups and see if there’s one that you could join, or we can put you in touch with a small group leader who will be more than happy to invite you along to their group.
Serving and Volunteering
If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us, make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team.

Get in touch with us to plan your visit
If you would like to come and visit the church beforehand you are more than welcome! Get in touch and we can arrange a time that suits you.

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

Next, we will contact you by email to say hello and help arrange anything necessary for your visit.

We hope that whoever you are, you will feel at home at our church.

Best Wishes