Putting people at the heart of what we do
Quaker Social Action helps people on low incomes in London and across the UK to seek solutions to the issues affecting their lives.
Founded over 160 years ago by the religious group Quakers, today we are an independent charity inspired by Quaker values like equality in our work against poverty and injustice.
The Bedford Institute Centenary Report in 1967
Providing practical solutions
We take social action by providing practical solutions for people facing the multiple and varied impacts of poverty.
We listen and respond to people by creating services wherever they are most needed:
- Down to Earth: crisis support for people unable to afford a funeral
- Cook Up: a cooking space where people seeking asylum and people experiencing homelessness can choose their own ingredients and cook for themselves and their families
- This Way Up: free life coaching and mindfulness to help people on low incomes build confidence, manage stress and navigate the future
- Turn a Corner: a mobile library that builds relationships with people sleeping rough, offering books, essentials and a safe space
- 4in10: hosting a network of 550+ organisations fighting to end child poverty in London
We believe that people in poverty are the real poverty experts and our approach reflects this, working with people in an supportive and holistic way.
We work collaboratively with other organisations to achieve more and share our work when it has the potential to bring benefits to communities outside of our own.
Explore more about what we do
Over 160 years of history
In 1867 the Bedford Institute Association was born. We transformed into Quaker Social Action in 1998.