Welcome

With over 25,000 students and staff on its campuses in London, Queen Mary University of London is proud of its diverse multicultural population and is committed to encouraging religious understanding, freedom of speech and open social interaction. 

Facilities and Services

Our faith facilities at QMUL are places where people of different faiths can meet.

Prayer and Contemplation Rooms

The Multi-Faith Centre is situated in the Students' Union Hub at the Mile End campus (number 34 on the Mile End Campus map [PDF 1.5 MB]). Its two large rooms and adjacent washing facilities are designed as places of prayer, worship and reflection and is shared by students and staff of all faiths and beliefs.  Rooms may be booked by individual faith societies at specific times. You can check the times available on the timetable.

Some weeks Muslim staff and students are able to meet for Friday prayers in the Octagon (number 19a on the Mile End Campus map [PDF 1.5 MB]).

Smaller contemplation rooms are also available on the ground floor of the Mile End Library. These rooms are not bookable by groups or individuals but are available throughout the opening hours of the library (including the 24/7 opening period).

A prayer room at Whitechapel is located in the Students’ Union on the second floor (number 3 on the Whitechapel Campus map [PDF 1MB]). For more information about this facility contact the Students’ Union at su-BLSA.Reception@qmul.ac.uk.

Provision of space for Friday Prayers

QMUL recognises the importance of Friday prayers to a significant proportion of our community and is committed to using all reasonable endeavours to provide a place on campus for students and staff to meet for Friday prayers. The Octagon in the Queens’ Building at Mile End campus (number 19a on map), has been identified as the only compatible space that offers a flat area, large enough to accommodate Friday prayers safely.

The Octagon will be made available for Friday prayers from 12 midday until 2pm wherever possible. It will be reserved each week for Friday prayer on the mutual understanding, that it sometimes needs to be set up on Fridays for weekend events, and is also used extensively by QMUL to support internal activities e.g. exams, open days, celebrations as well as for commercial events. Should this space be needed for any internal or commercial activity that after all best endeavours cannot be accommodated at another location or time, this activity will take priority. In this case, the Estates and Facilities Directorate will inform the QMSU VP Welfare (su-vpwelfare@qmul.ac.uk), the QMSU Reception (su-qmsu.reception@qmul.ac.uk) and the Head Brother/Sister via email (enquiries@qmhospitality.co.uk) about the Octagon’s unavailability for Friday prayers, and as soon as possible but with at least two weeks’ notice.

The schedule of reservations for the Octagon will be provided at the start of each semester (www.qmul.ac.uk/about/calendar/) by the Estates and Facilities Directorate to the QMSU VP Welfare (su-vpwelfare@qmul.ac.uk), the QMSU Reception (su-qmsu.reception@qmul.ac.uk) and Head Brother/Sister via email (enquiries@qmhospitality.co.uk). The Estates and Facilities Directorate will also update them via email on the status of the Octagon’s reservations each Friday.

Chaplaincy Services

St Benet's (number 23 on the  Mile End Campus map [PDF 1.5 MB])  is the name of QMUL's long established Christian Chaplaincy. The chaplaincy building on the Mile End Campus is owned by the Church of England and is open from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday during term-time.  

The building has two main areas: the Chapel, which is a beautiful grade II listed building available for prayer and reflection and the lounge which is a relaxing meeting place for all students. 

There are regular services of prayer and worship in the Chapel as well as other activities in the lounge. Please visit St Benet's to see the what is happening.

Chaplains are available for students and staff of all faiths and none. They support students and staff in any way they can, as well as engaging with spiritual aspects of university life. 

QMUL is currently served by a small team of experienced chaplains:

Father Brian O'Mahony, the Roman Catholic Chaplain, based part-time at Mile End.

For pastoral or spiritual support from any other faith community or information about local places of worship, please contact us  and we'll do our best to help. 

Policies and Guidelines