Brandon Baptist Church is located in Camberwell, South East London, an area rich in diversity with vibrant communities, languages, and cultures. Since 2004, they’ve been an active member of Southwark and Peckham Citizens, a network of 21 local institutions, and part of the South London Citizens chapter. These are all part of Citizens UK, a people-powered alliance committed to building stronger, fairer communities through grassroots organizing.

Rev Steff Wright, minister of Brandon Baptist Church, and member of the London Baptists Justice Hub explains more:

"As part of Citizens UK, Brandon Baptist Church benefits from training for our Citizens leaders, support and training for our minister, and a broad network of connections across the borough and beyond. In turn, we agree to collaborate with others, releasing local leaders, and investing in community organizers who help us achieve our goals.

The Church had a leading role in the creation of an organisation, now called Parent Action, (PACT) to support parents of young children through a parenting course for new and expectant parents, providing mental health support, organising groups to help parents connect and grow in confidence, and campaigning for change, particularly around housing. Several members have worked for the group, and one continues to do so. Church members have also helped organise, and participated in, meetings with local politicians including the leader of Southwark Council and of our local MPs to follow up on commitments made and to inform them of the issues most important to members of the Church community, with a strong focus on housing".

Community-Driven Projects

The church's involvement with Citizens UK means that the issues they tackle arise directly from the concerns of their local community. Through 1:1 listening and community conversations, local leaders bring together issues to be addressed by the alliance. While this is initially on a local level, sometimes, these concerns lead to projects that extend beyond the local area and involve multiple alliances or chapters working together for broader impact.  

A prime example of this is the Living Wage Foundation, a Citizens UK initiative which certifies employers paying a real living wage. Brandon BC have also been involved in initiatives like the Community Land Trust, and the City Safe scheme, which was introduced in their local area in part through the efforts of two of their members.

Living the Gospel through Action

Steff shares further:

"For us, being part of Citizens UK is a way to focus on the needs of the community outside the Church. But it is about more than just advocacy – it’s about living out the Gospel in our community. It’s about listening to the concerns of our community and our neighbours, whether they relate to safety, wages, access to childcare, or other vital issues. Through collective action, we strive to bring about tangible change and make our community a fairer, safer place for all".

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