sims was appointed as part of an 1882 study of social conditions in southwark in 1882 and as a witness before the 1884 royal commission on working-class housing. sims also raised public awareness of other issues, including white slave traffic in a series articles published in the "daily telegraph", later in book form as "london by night" (1906) and "watches of the night" (1907); and the maltreatment of children, writing "the black stain" (1907). together with mrs e. w. burgwin, he founded the referee children's free breakfast and dinner fund (1880), which became london's largest charity of this kind. he also worked to promote the boys' clubs movement and campaigned to open museums and galleries and permit concerts on sundays as part of the national sunday league.