The town of Dover does not easily fit into the perception of the "affluent" South East of England, and is in fact part of a designated Assisted Area. The local economy has been significantly affected by the loss of the Kent mining industry, the contraction of the ferry industry, partly as a result of the opening of the Channel Tunnel, the loss of the military presence and the closure of Arjo Wiggins paper mill at Buckland.

Whilst the port remains the busiest ferry port in the world and has a fine cruise line terminal, problems regarding asylum seekers, bootleggers and drug smuggling frequently catapult the town into the national and international headlines. The capsize of The Herald of Free Enterprise off Zeebrugge  in 1987 and the deaths of 58 Chinese immigrants in a lorry in 2000 have brought St Marys into national prominence. Together with the other churches in the town, St Marys ministers to a town with a fragile economy, recent high unemployment, areas of deprivation and a relatively poor urban fabric.

Volunteers from the church run a Wednesday Luncheon Club for senior citizens, and a soup kitchen operates in the town, manned by Christians of all denominations. St Marys provides an annual donation and personnel to prepare and distribute food each evening on a rota basis. The parish has a long-standing relationship with The Church Army, and also has links with the South American Mission Society, currently contributing towards a mission partner in Arequipe, Peru. We have a link with the church of St Pierre in Calais, France, and members of the two congregations visit each other's churches during the year.

Christian Aid Week is actively supported by St Marys, with regular sponsored walkers and house-to-house collections. St Marys also supports the Friends of Kent Churches sponsored cycle ride - the church is open to receive cyclists and also has a sponsored cyclist who regularly raises around £200, half of which is returned to the parish.