Isabella was born in the Imo state of Nigeria. A former social worker, she has been employed in the United Kingdom and the United States of America. She has three children - two in the US and one in Britain. She is also a grandmother and returned to London about two years ago to be nearer her granddaughter. She came to St Matthew's because it is close to home. 'It's a nice little church, more homely than others I have known. The people know each other and the priests are interested in you personally, are encouraging and pray for you. Also, there is something I have never known before: at the end of every Sunday service, they ask if you have anything to say.'

Claire Roff

Claire lives in Bethnal Green and has been coming to St Matthew¹s for just
over a year. Originally from Lancaster, she came to London to work as a
violinist and plays with many of the cities leading orchestras as well as
teaching violin at Westminster Under School. Claire has found the people of
Bethnal Green and St Matthew¹s to be very welcoming and generous and feels
privileged to live in the parish of such a friendly and diverse church. She
also enjoys travelling and last year took part in an expedition led by
Colonel John Blashford-Snell to take a harmonium to the Tacaná people of
Ojaki in a very remote part of the Bolivian Amazon.