St Saviour’s church is located in the Forest Gate North Ward of the London Borough of Newham. Newham houses approximately 308,000 residents, and this number is continually rising. In the last ten years, Newham has seen a 23.5% increase in its population; the second highest percentage increase in the country. Newham is a fast paced, urban, ethnically diverse borough and the 2001 Census reported that more than 50% of its population were from black and minority ethnic population groups, this is reflected in the fact that 76% of all children were born to mothers originating from outside of the UK.
In accordance with the rest of London as a whole, Newham is a young and mobile borough: Over 91% of the population are of working age and approximately 50% are under 29 years old. Results from the 2011 census show that only 1 in 12 of the population are over 65 years of age. Even though a high percentage of people are of working age, Newham has the highest unemployment rate in London and is the second most deprived borough in England. Despite this the young majority have provided elements of vibrancy and energy in parts of the borough, through the arts and sport. Local venues such as the Theatre Royal and Stratford Circus are hubs for the performing arts and West Ham and Leyton Orient local football clubs provide sporting opportunities. Politically speaking, all sixty of the borough’s seats are held by Labour and there is also an elected executive Mayor.