In 1957 Christ Church was nearly derelict and services were held elsewhere. Christ Church was saved from demolition by the Hawksmoor Committee which was formed to ward off the threat of demolition and raise awareness of the building. In 1966 the roof was rebuilt under the supervision of Cecil Brown FRIBA with some of the funds from the sale of St John’s Smith Square. In 1966 a rehabilitation centre for homeless alcoholic men was housed in part of the crypt.

Christ Church was saved but still derelict. The Friends of Christ Church Spitalfields was formed in 1976 to restore the church and bring it back into use. Since then we have completely restored the exterior which is a huge achievement. Christ Church is the size of a small cathedral; inside it is the height of Exeter Cathedral and its volume is half that of the nave of St. Paul's. Tower Hamlets is one of the poorest boroughs in London. The Friends of Christ Church Spitalfields has had to raise the large sums to achieve this.

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