Crickhowell Event to Launch 'Enabling Spiritual Care'
- debbiethrower0
- 17 hours ago
- 3 min read
What better way to launch a new BRF Ministries book than at a much-loved local bookshop? That is what happened on 30 July when co-authors of Enabling Spiritual Care: A guide for care home staff, Rev Sally Rees and Julia Burton-Jones, took part in an event at Book-ish in Crickhowell. They were interviewed by local priest, the Revd Margaret Blake to explain how the book came about and what it seeks to achieve.
Available now for £9:99 (Enabling Spiritual Care: A guide for care home staff – BRF Resources), the book is based on the Carers Guides written by Anna Chaplains and produced by BRF during the Covid-19 pandemic to assist care staff in providing spiritual care while Anna Chaplains were unable to visit.
Updated, with several new chapters, this book is designed to enable everyone working in care homes to understand how they can contribute to spiritual care of every resident, whether or not they hold to a faith or set of beliefs.
The other authors are Debbie Thrower, the original and pioneering Anna Chaplain who was based in Alton Hampshire, and Catriona Foster who was older people’s pastor at St John’s Church in Harborne for 18 years. The book’s cover is illustrated with beautiful paintings by Becky Shaylor, an Anna Friend who worked with Debbie in Alton, who is an artist and care sector professional.
The Book-ish event was sold out and attended by a large supportive contingent of Sally’s family, as well as by Anna Chaplains, and staff from several local care homes. Book-ish welcomed everyone with a glass of wine or a soft drink, and through the first half of the evening Margaret interviewed Sally and Julia about their interest in spiritual care in later life and how the book came about.
Sally shared stories from the Anna Chaplaincy ministry in care homes in and around Crickhowell to illustrate the benefit of good spiritual and religious care for residents and staff.
There was then time for questions and discussion. Sally and Julia were asked by a member of the audience who worked in a care home whether it might be possible to create a short e-learning module for care home staff based on the book to enable them to see their role in enabling spiritual care.
The evening finished with Julia and Sally signing copies of the book. Book-ish ran out of copies and promised to replenish their supplies!
Julia reflected afterwards:
‘It was wonderful to work with Book-ish on this launch. As a bookshop with a strong and respected local presence, it hosts many events and activities which enrich community life in Crickhowell and neighbouring villages. Sally and I were delighted to meet members of care home teams and hear about their experiences in offering spiritual care. For me, it was a joy to visit this beautiful corner of Wales for the first time and meet members of Sally’s family who have been such a support to her over her many years of championing older people’s spiritual care and Anna Chaplaincy in Wales.’
For anyone interested to hear more about the Enabling Spiritual Care, BRF Ministries is holding two Zoom webinars on 17 September. Please consider who might like information on this new resource and be keen to join us for the webinar.
To book to join us on Thurs 17th Sept 12.30-2pm
To book to join us on Thurs 17th Sept 7-8.30pm
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