United St Saviour’s Charity holds its annual evensong service at Southwark Cathedral on Tuesday 24th May 2016 to commemorate the Southwark benefactor Thomas Cure, who died in 1588. His legacy is embodied in the Charity’s support for Southwark’s people and its community groups through its beautiful almshouses and award winning charitable grants programme in the north of the borough.
The evensong which starts at 5.30pm is open to the public and will be attended by dignitaries including the Deputy Lieutenant of Southwark, Simon Duckworth OBE DL, the recently appointed Deputy Mayor of Southwark, Cllr. Charlie Smith and representatives of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers where Thomas Cure was Master Saddler. We are also delighted to receive the Worshipful Mayor and Mayoress of East Grinstead, where Cure served as Member of Parliament.
Living descendants of Thomas Cure, and the Chairman of the charity Richard Heaton CB, will lay the final touches to an inspirational flower arrangement at Thomas Cure’s tomb which for the second year running is being made by Old Kent Road resident Vicky O’Donnell, who has trained to be a qualified florist with the support of Big Local South Bermondsey Partnership. Many who attended last year’s service will recall her stunning floral display which illuminated the tomb.
Thomas Cure was a very important person in Southwark and London. He was the MP locally, and in East Grinstead, as well as the Master Saddler to King Edward VI, Queen Mary I and Queen Elizabeth I. He founded almshouses for the poor of St Saviour’s parish. These stood for nearly 300 years in Park Street, until the new railways forced their move to West Norwood and eventual relocation, in the form of modern sheltered flats, to Purley, Surrey in 2006.
Today over 70 former Southwark residents benefit from the legacy of Thomas Cure, but the charity’s ambition is to develop even more almshouses, fit for the 21stCentury, in the heart of Bermondsey – 57 ‘extra care’ homes designed and built to the highest quality, with an expected opening date of 2019.
The service is followed by a reception in the retro-choir until 8pm. If you would like to attend the service please reply by email to: info@ustsc.org.uk or telephone: 020 7089 9014.
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