St Nicholas' Home, Upper Tooting

In the early 1880s it became clear to Edward Rudolph that there was a lack of proper and efficient medical centres in Britain that catered for the children of the poor. Many of these children were not getting the right medical treatment, that is if they received any treatment at all. Rudolph launched a fundraising campaign in memory of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee to open medical homes for sick children. Soon he was able to rent a building in Upper Tooting and this became St Nicholas' Home.

The Home was opened on 22 February 1887 and was established as a home for children with physical disabilities. St Nicholas' could care for 20 children aged 3-12. The Home was intended to be a temporary measure until sufficient funds were raised to build a bigger and permanent home, which would have all the facilities that were needed by the children and their carers. When enough money was secured, the staff and children moved to the new St Nicholas' Home for Boys in Byfleet, Surrey in 1893.