The Salvation Army began on the streets of East London in 1865 when Methodists, William and Catherine Booth, abandoned the traditional concept of a church pulpit to take God’s word directly to the people.

The Booths preached and lived out a doctrine of practical Christianity — soup, soap and salvation — to encourage both social and spiritual transformation among society’s most vulnerable and marginalised people.

Their work included setting up shelters for people who were homeless, a family tracing service, running soup kitchens, helping people living in the slums and setting up rescue homes for women fleeing domestic abuse and prostitution. The couple also oversaw the world’s first free labour exchange and campaigned to improve working conditions.