Time and Talents Settlement

Time & Talents originated in 1887 in the drawing rooms of Victorian society with a group of committed Christian women who deplored the waste and futility of the protected lives of the majority of young girls who were only expected to be decorative and obedient. Their ambition was to help girls of leisure and education use their Time and Talents in the service of others.

After a peripatetic early existence Time and Talents settled in 187 Bermondsey Street in 1899 where it was to remain until 1962 with a clubroom for “healthy recreation,” singing, basketwork, knitting and sewing. In 1913, a hostel was developed to house factory girls who were experiencing severe overcrowding at home and for many it was their first opportunity to experience a room of their own.