A 325-year-old Lambeth school which closed last year has transformed into a home for charities helping the community, writes Matt Hasdell…
St Martin-in-the-Fields High School for Girls in Tulse Hill was forced to close its doors to pupils last summer due to falling numbers of young people living and studying in Lambeth.
In a written statement in 2023, when the closure was announced, then-headteacher Josephine Okokon said it was “no longer viable” for the school to continue operating, as funding for schools is based on the number of students.
Around 400 pupils and 50 staff worked and studied in what was one of the oldest girls’ schools in Britain, and when the final cohort left in 2024, the future of the site was in question.
But rather than the high-ceilinged corridors and hundreds of classrooms and workspaces being left to fall into disrepair, the Oasis Charitable Trust took over the site and allowed local charities to use it as a base in what has become a pioneering project.
Now called ‘Oasis St Martin’s Village’, organisations such as Lambeth and Croydon Foodbank, Crystal Palace FC’s Palace for Life Foundation, and Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food are now based in the old school buildings.
Steve Chalke founded the Oasis Trust 40 years ago, with the mission of creating “tangible hope for young people and families who feel left behind”.
The former broadcaster and Guinness World Record holder leads the trust, which provides education, supported housing, and community hubs like the repurposed school in Tulse Hill.
‘The Village’ is one of Oasis’ latest endeavours, with a focus on building a network of local charities that aims to help the area flourish.
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Mr Chalke said the drive behind the project is “to do things with people not to them”.
“We’ve brought together local charities to work together with children who are persistently absent from school or have been excluded, and parents who don’t know how to deal with the circumstances they find themselves in,” he said.
“Poverty often leads to developmental trauma for a child or for the adult in that situation, and if that’s overlaid with neurodiversity or a child that learns in a different way to other children, then our school system, the way it is, provides so little opportunity for creativity and growth – we’re here to reverse all that,” he added.
Walking past old classrooms, which are now busy with children learning in a foreign language, creating artwork or kickboxing, the positive impact on Lambeth’s younger population is clear to see.
The Well Centre, a young people’s health project focusing on physical and mental wellbeing, is preparing to move into The Village in 2026.
CEO John Poyton is excited to make the most of the wealth of space the old school will provide.
“Being in the village will enable more capacity when we convert some of the classrooms into more room space for counseling and for clinical support,” he said.
With a host of other organisations based in the former school offering their services to young people, Mr Poyton hopes The Well Centre’s move will open doors for individuals to receive additional support.
“There will be more ability to see more young people, but it is also about that crossover with other partners in the community, the fact the young people might then get support from Spiral or the food bank. It’s about making an ecosystem of support,” he said.
Spiral Skills, who help young people into employment, were the subject of a visit from Prince William in September. The charity recently received funding from his Homewards Fund, which aims to end rough sleeping.
Youth worker Louise Winnall said the main benefit of being in the new location is that sharing resources and time with other charities is allowing them to help more people.
“It’s just nice to have a space where everybody is on the same page,” she added.
The Mayor of Lambeth, Councillor Adrian Garden, recognised the “incalculable” value of projects like The Village.
He said: “The synergy of all these charities working together, with the dynamism of Steve Chalke pushing the whole thing along, makes this a fantastic thing.
“It’s something that I would like to see as a model for community activity hubs all over the country.”
