A number of lodging houses were established where sailors could stay while their ship was in Dock. The church saw the presence of so many foreign sailors as an opportunity for missionary work. The ‘Lascar’ Mission was established in 1896. It was a branch of St Luke’s Church and was founded to work with Asian sailors in the Canning Town area.

During the 1920s and 30s, organisations such as the Canning Town Coloured Men’s Institute worked to provide practical help and support (as well as spiritual guidance) to the local Black population. There were an estimated 100 Black families living in Canning Town in 1935 making it the largest Black community in London at that time.