Our heritage

Spurgeons Charity was founded in 1867 as a children’s orphanage for “fatherless boys” by leading Baptist preacher and writer Charles Haddon Spurgeon and his associates. Charles Haddon Spurgeon was England’s best-known Baptist preacher.  

Spurgeon’s converted at the age of 15, when he was forced to seek out shelter in a Primitive Methodist Chapel in Colchester due to a snowstorm. The preacher spoke to him directly and this experience had a lasting influence on his work and his direction in life and he began preaching at Teversham, before accepting his first pastorate, at the Baptist Chapel in Waterbeach, one year later. 

At the age of 19 Spurgeon became pastor of London’s famed New Park Street Church. As well as preaching, Spurgeon was passionate about helping and supporting disadvantaged children in London. As a prominent Christian, Spurgeon’s response to the Bible’s teaching was to supply orphaned and vulnerable children with shelter, education and therefore creating hope of a better future.  

Spurgeon established the charity as a compassionate and distinctively Christian response to the plight of orphaned and vulnerable children in London. Motivated by their faith, Charles Haddon Spurgeon and his associates sought to provide shelter, education and the hope of a better future. Following a generous donation from an Anglican widow, Spurgeon and his associates founded the Stockwell Orphanage in south London.  

Today you will find us at the heart of communities – listening, learning and building trust to make a lasting difference. Our Christian faith remains an active and important motivation for the work we do. It forms the roots with which our people's collective desire to help children and young people is linked to, regardless of their own beliefs.  

Our history – Spurgeons Charity 

Spurgeons charity was founded in 1867 when Anne Hillyard donated £20,000 to Charles Spurgeon, to be used to open a children’s orphanage for boys. As a result, Stockwell orphanage was opened in 1869. 10 years later, girls were also welcomed. By the time the girls' dormitories were complete there were 500 children living here. 

Even after Spurgeon's death, his work to improve the lives of children carried on in the orphanage. The children had special occasions to look forward to, such as Founder's Day to celebrate the birth of Charles Spurgeon, Christmas, outings to the beach. They even had a visit from the Duchess of York, who later became the Queen Mother, for their Founder's Day celebrations. 

When the Second World War had been announced in 1939 the children living at Stockwell orphanage had to be evacuated. Many of the children were moved to St. David's in Reigate, Surrey, where the children occupied themselves by looking after the animals there. 

In 1951 the home in Birchington, Kent, was opened and became the new children's home for Spurgeons. By 1953 all the children were relocated here. It remained open until 1979, when children were sent to smaller homes or foster families.