The name Praxis comes from an ancient Greek word which means action. In the Oxford English Dictionary, it is defined as “the use of a theory or a belief in a practical way.

Praxis started as a project of the Robert Kemble Christian Institute, a charitable trust, the trustee of which is Robert Kemble Trustees Ltd. Robert Kemble Trustees Ltd. founded Praxis in 1983, in concordance with the will of the late Robert Kemble, a former minister of the United Reformed Church. Robert Kemble devoted his life in the service of the socially excluded initially as a collective of small groups working in solidarity with progressive movements in Chile, Namibia, South Africa,
Philippines, Central America and other countries.

At the end of the Cold War, it was recognised that displacement would become the key issue, which linked the "developed" and "developing" worlds. In response to the principal concerns of the benefactor, the Trustees had determined that the global problems of impoverishment and displacement of peoples reflected their concerns and the agency has developed a concrete, practical programme to tackle these issues within the local context of Inner London.

Since 1992, Praxis has focused its work on the problems faced by displaced people in the UK, i.e. refugees and migrants, particularly those coming from Asia, Africa and Latin America. In the last couple of years, growth has accelerated dramatically.

In 1998, the trustees decided that Praxis should establish an identity independent of the Robert Kemble Trust. Praxis is now registered independently as a company limited by guarantee – Praxis Community Projects with Company No. 3638571. It is also now a registered charity with Charity No. 1078945. However, Robert Kemble Trustees Ltd. continues to retain an active interest and provide financial backing to Praxis.