St
Giles’ with St Luke’s is unique in the City of London Deanery in that people
live here, there is a large settled residential community;
some people can trace their roots back 400 years in this neighbourhood.
There are many children and young people who come into the parish:
there are three primary schools, a special needs school, and an
independent girls’ school.
There is also a significant proportion of elderly people either living on
the estates or coming in each day to centres and lunch clubs.
Whitecross Street which runs north of the Barbican Centre has a market
Monday - Friday which is an important meeting place for the community and
ensures there is still ‘village’ life in the heart of a capital city
Each
weekday the neighbourhood is transformed by the thousands of office workers who
commute to this part of the City.
There is always building work being carried out, and the expansion of
offices north of the square mile is changing the nature of that part of the
parish.
The
Barbican Centre, with its concert halls, theatres, cinemas and restaurants
brings people here in the evenings.
St Giles is dramatically floodlit and makes a distinctive landmark.
Many tourists and schools visit the London Museum which is on the edge of
the parish.
During term-time we enjoy the company of students at the Guildhall School of Music and
Drama, and City
University Business School.
Young people can find very reasonable accommodation at the two YMCA
hostels.
Two
Livery Companies have their halls in the parish, there are many civic links with
the Corporation of London and St Giles is used as a polling station.
Our
worship
We are a parish church and the spiritual focus of the
community. We welcome all people of faith and goodwill, and
are here to serve the community in its diversity. We welcome those who are
called to worship with us on Sundays and during the week, and also those who
wish to use the church for private prayer and reflection.