ABOUT THE ROYAL FOUNDATION OF ST KATHARINE

Founded by Queen Matilda in 1147 and with HM Queen Elizabeth II as our previous patron, The Royal Foundation of St Katharine has served as a centre for worship, hospitality and service over many centuries.

St Katharine’s is an extraordinary urban oasis in East London, within walking distance of Canary Wharf’s gleaming towers and with great transport links to the City of London financial centre and top London attractions. With 45 bedrooms and 9 meeting rooms around a beautiful expanse of grass and trees, it is a unique, quiet sanctuary in the heart of London

St Katharine’s hosts over 1000 events a year for some of the world’s leading charities and not-for-profit organisations. Corporates also come for board meetings and management away-days to enjoy an “out-of-London” experience in the heart of the city.

It’s a favourite with business travellers, looking for an alternative to cramped corporate hotels with little character. We also welcome many guests coming to London for events and conferences. St Katharine’s regularly ranks in the top ten London places to stay as part of the “speciality lodgings” category on Tripadvisor.

St Katharine’s is also a thriving arts and community organisation. London’s only Yurt Café is set amidst a wildflower and vegetable community garden complete with bees, and is surrounded by our colourful containers which are used for creative organisations and social projects to benefit the local community.

St Katharine’s has now entered into a new phase in its long history. As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, a dynamic volunteer network, Limehouse Aid, has joined St Katharine’s which now hosts a food bank distributing food to vulnerable families nearby.

Journey through our history

People at RFSK

Meet the team

St Katharine’s has a rich history of hospitality, going right back to its early roots as the ‘hospital by the tower’. Our ethos is taking care of people and we strive to make everyone feel welcomed and included. Visitors to St Katharine’s will always be greeted with a friendly smile.

 
The Venerable Roger Preece

The Venerable Roger Preece

Master

CAROL C (2)

Carol Rider

Chaplain

Revd John Irwin

The Reverend John Irwin

Finance Director

Tom Slater

Tom Slater

Commercial Director

Untitled design (42)-2

Michaela Vencalkova

Head of Events

Natalja Golovinova

Natalja Golovniova

Guest Services Manager

The Court

The Court is the Foundation’s governing body. At present it comprises 11 trustees, some of whom are ex-officio members (that is they are trustees because of the office they hold) and others are appointed by the Patron, HM The Queen, the Lord Chancellor or by the Court itself.

Read the latest annual report and accounts

People at RFSK

CAREERS

Are you friendly, hard-working and passionate about hospitality? Want to work for one of the oldest charities in the country, at our beautiful setting in East London?

At the Royal Foundation of St Katharine, we treat all staff fairly and respectfully and provide a training environment where people are given the opportunity to achieve growth and fulfilment in their professional life.

Where possible, we recruit staff from the local community and try to ensure we reflect its diversity. We endeavour to ensure that each employee is treated without discrimination and with attention to individual circumstances. We value all our staff and everyone is paid at least the London Living Wage.

We actively support talent of all ages to develop their skills through two-way communication and mentoring at all levels.

We aim to encourage our staff team to exhibit traditional values based on honesty and fairness. We hope to create managers with the above qualities alongside financial awareness and a desire to empower their team.

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