Our History 

Hestia began providing support to adults in crisis in 1970 after founder Jim Horne experienced street homelessness in London. He started a soup run for men and women living on the streets and worked with local authorities to provide accommodation. Within the year, over 800 people were provided with a safe space to sleep at night.

Since then, Hestia has grown to support more than 18,519 adults and children in crisis across London every year. We provide support for those experiencing domestic abuse, modern slavery and mental health needs.

Hestia is one of the largest providers of domestic abuse refuges in London and South East and the main organisation supporting victims of modern slavery in the capital.

As we move forward in to a new chapter of Hestia, we will continue to keep the voices of the adults and children in our services at the heart of our work.

Beliefs and Values 

Respectful | Genuine | Dedicated | Collaborative | Courageous 

We provide high quality support for adults and children in crisis across London. Working in collaboration with local authorities and our partners, we strive to ensure that everyone within our care is equipped with the tools necessary for a life beyond a crisis. Our staff and volunteers build honest, respectful relationships with our service users to support and encourage them to lead their own recovery process.

In everything we do we seek to be: respectful; genuine; dedicated; collaborative; and courageous.