NLS Shaftesbury Hall

Please see our website and scroll down for our class timetable/Events calendar. Shaftesbury Hall ('The Tin-Tabernacle') has been owned by North London Samaritans (NLS) since 1977. It is a much-loved and quite unique building of local interest. NLS are a self-financing charity that is now looking to raise over £600,000 to refurbish this dilapidated and run down facility that has never been publicly

accessible since it stopped being a church hall in the early 1920s. After many years and numerous false-starts, we now have a community-lead project (with planning approval since 6th Dec 2013) for the hall (dated late 1890s) to be refurbished and the addition of a new call-centre facility for NLS volunteers. Local residents and community groups will be able to use the hall as a public facility, managed and maintained by NLS. All of the structural surveys have been completed as have the new designs for the hall to be rebuilt as a facsimile of its original structure to approved 21st century building regulations. The new design includes a quite separate but integrated building that will operate as a modern call centre for NLS volunteers - who provide a much-needed service for telephone callers, emailers, SMS text messengers and face-to-face visitors on a 24 hour basis; people who are in despair, distress or may even be experiencing suicidal thoughts. NLS are working very closely with local residents and community groups to help fundraise for this vitally important project - the support from local residents has never been stronger. There are very few facilities in the local area that are able to offer what the hall will make available and none that can boast the history and uniqueness of the tin-tabernacle. Although NLS have owned the hall since 1977 they have never been in a position to afford any worthwhile refurbishment programme other than the occasional coat of paint. The hall had to be de-commissioned in January 2012 because it had become too unsafe to use and a health and safety hazard. NLS receive no government or central charity funding and are reliant upon their volunteers and any other supportive party for fundraising annually to ensure their survival. Unless and until the hall is refurbished (i.e. we raise the £600k), the future for NLS will remain a struggle. Our volunteers are committed to ensuring the charitable service remains available for everyone in the future; not only the local community but also as a nationwide and often international service