It was a trip down memory lane for both Caroline Dinenage MP, Conservative MP for Gosport, and me when I went to visit her at one of her constituency surgeries.
You see, I worked with Caroline’s father, the broadcaster Fred Dinenage, for many years on ITV’s evening news programmes in the south of England – both Coast to Coast and Meridian Tonight.
Caroline, or Baroness Lancaster as she now is, was still at school when I joined Fred to present the shows back in the early 1990s! Fred (who won’t like me drawing attention to the fact that he is 79) has only just retired, last December, from Meridian Tonight. But he will be seen on our screens again soon in a new series of the popular science show for children that he has been a part of for many years, How.
It was great to learn how supportive former care minister Caroline Dinenage is of Anna Chaplaincy’s work offering spiritual care to older people – especially those living alone. And we had a good talk about how to raise more awareness of the needs of people in their later years and those of carers.
Before leaving, I gave her a copy of The Anna Chaplaincy Handbook and Anna Chaplaincy in Rochester Diocese: A blueprint for other dioceses across the UK. Together, we hope to persuade other MPs to join us in publicising our work and extending the reach of Anna Chaplaincy.
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