When I reflect on the beginnings of Praxis, in the early ‘80s, I can't help but marvel at how it all started. Praxis wasn't even a concept back then.

Before I started my journey with this charity I found myself working at a youth centre for homeless people – this was during the time of Margaret Thatcher's leadership. It was a challenging period, with an alarming prevalence of extreme poverty in the UK. What struck me the most was the need to connect the impact of extreme poverty in this country with what was then referred to as the "third world." This interconnectedness had largely occurred through migration.

When I joined Praxis, I had the opportunity to bridge this gap.

As its first employee, I moved into the house Robert Kemble had left as part of his inheritance to the charity. I began engaging with people who were experiencing poverty in the UK, coming from various international backgrounds – such as refugees from Chile, Bolivia, and Namibia. These groups often struggled to find spaces for self-organising that weren't dominated by left-wing groups with their own agendas. At Praxis, we offered them a space and the support they needed to self-organise - that's where Praxis acquired its participatory character.

Our aim was to bridge the gap between poverty in the UK and other parts of the world, a perspective that allowed us to understand what liberation meant in a UK and international context. For example, we would run workshops and activities around homelessness in the UK, striving to change people's perspectives on those experiencing it; and we would support activities by diasporic groups aimed at improving the human rights situation in their home countries. For example, we supported groups of Namibian refugees to raise awareness on human rights abuses happening in their home country - we hosted meetings, conferences, exhibitions, vigils outside the South African embassy, and we even supported a Namibian float for Notting Hill Carnival.

A significant turning point for Praxis occurred in 1992 with the Maastricht Treaty, which prompted us playing a leading role in Kairos Europa’s ‘Parliament of the People’ held in Strasbourg that year. Up until then it was relatively easy for refugees to find sanctuary and start a new life in the UK. Yet the early 90s marked a watershed moment: while internal European borders were dismantled, the European Union's policies made it much more difficult for people from outside Europe to gain refugee status here. People arriving to the UK needed more and more help to secure vital documents needed to live and work here, and the focus of their attention moved to securing their status rather than engaging with liberation movements in their home countries. This shift impacted our community approach, as increasingly most of our time was consumed by one-on-one support. In response, we established the advice function to run alongside our community work.

We began applying for funding to meet different and emerging needs, adapting to the changing landscape. While the diversity of the people who came to Praxis remained constant, the experiences of asylum-seekers and the actions of the state worsened over time. Then like now, there was an assumption that many people weren't legitimately seeking asylum.

We developed a strong expertise in running services focused on integration, such as access to work and English language learning. We even had a football team – the Praxis Panthers – for new London residents to join. We also developed strong relationships with Tower Hamlets and over the years we strengthened our advice function.

Looking back, some of my fondest moments at Praxis involve the people, both within the community and among the staff. Events like the New Voices Festival, which we organised with the V&A Museum of Childhood, were truly fantastic. And of course, there were the parties that brought everyone together, celebrating the spirit of Praxis and the journey we've been on.

Reverend Vaughan Jones, Praxis founding Chief Executive and first employee