East London is vibrant, diverse and fun - we absolutely love living there. However it is also characterised by high levels of poverty. Tower Hamlets, where we live, has the highest rate of child poverty in London. It is the second most deprived borough in London and is the third most deprived borough nationally. Despite its proximity to central London and the City, many residents face unemployment, poor housing and a lack of opportunity.

 

We want to use our wedding as an opportunity to raise money for our local community and help those who need it. Toynbee Hall are a fantastic local organisation providing valuable services across Tower Hamlets. With a network of nearly 500 volunteers in 2011/12 they reached out to over 9,000 people and offered invaluable services ranging from legal advice to healthcare and education.

 

You can read much more about what they do, how they do it and the impact they have on their website: http://www.toynbeehall.org.uk/