As part of a historic change to the London railway network, an overground line between Stratford to Richmond has been named after an evangelical Christian hospital – which hopes the recognition will further its efforts to ‘do God’s work’.
Transport for London (TFL) named The Mildmay line after the Mildmay Mission Hospital in Shoreditch, largely in acknowledgement of the help it provided during the 1980s during the HIV/AIDS crisis. The honour is a huge boost for the hospital who, just under a year ago, were facing closure due to NHS funding cuts – they now hope the spotlight will bring much-needed financial stability as they continue treating HIV patients and caring for the homeless.
Speaking to en, hospital CEO Geoff Coleman said: ‘What a lot of people won’t know is that while we’ve been a part of the NHS since the mid 1980’s, we are a still Christian charity, and this plays out in different ways. If other NHS hospitals overspend, they will be underwritten by the treasury. If we overspend, we go broke. We operate on faith and rely a lot on donations and grants – so having our profile raised across London and internationally will be a big help.’
‘Our relationship with the NHS is a bit of a strange one,’ Geoff added, ‘They wouldn’t be too sad to see us close our doors but would simply try and find other providers for the things we do. So, having our profile raised stabilises things.’
Christian ethos ‘at its heart’
The hospital’s Christian roots are still prominent today. Established in the 1860s by Rev William and Catherine Pennefather to help combat the Cholera epidemic in the Eastend, it quickly became known worldwide for its team of brave Christian nurses called ‘The Deaconesses’.
Today, the hospital is an internationally renowned HIV rehab centre with a Christian ethos that ‘remains at its heart’. All 12 board members profess faith in Christ and begin each meeting in prayer, and the hospital has eight Christian chaplains – where most hospitals have two.
While Mildmay Hospital’s primary focus remains on treating those with HIV, as numbers of those with the infection have decreased, they have also expanded into new areas. In May 2020, they launched a new programme to house and care for homeless people who have been discharged from A&E for six weeks – working with local authorities to get them into long-term accommodation, and helping them detox from alcohol and drugs, if they are willing.
The Mildmay line is one of six overground lines to be given a colour and a name of historical significance, in an attempt to make the network easier to navigate.
‘It’s incredible, it really is a blessing,’ Geoff told Premier Christianity, ‘People across London will be saying loudly, “look it’s Mildmay”. They’re going to be looking it up and trying to find out about it, so it's absolutely wonderful. I think Rev Pennefather would have been overjoyed.'
