Striving for Gold standards in our ministry
- debbiethrower0
- Oct 21
- 4 min read
Part of the 'gold-themed' annual Gathering was devoted to explaining discussing how Anna Chaplaincy is working hard to put in place extra support for network members. Ministry Lead Debbie Ducille handed over to colleague Julia Burton-Jones, Training and Development Lead for the details.
Freelance trainers
First, Julia invited all the freelance trainers present to introduce themselves. Katherine Froggatt has held several roles in recent years, both as co-ordinator for Anna Chaplaincy in Cumbria, and now in the North-East. The former nurse is also devising Quiet Days for network members alongside her husband Hugh Kidd, as well as leading Anna Chaplaincy training courses and the Spiritual Care Series courses.
The Revd Sally Rees is based in Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons and was the Bishop's Officer for Older People's Ministry in her diocese of the Church in Wales. She is also a former nurse, and a nurse tutor. Sally continues teaching new Anna Chaplains and leading the SCS courses. She also provides bespoke training such as the courses that have taken place for several years running at St Padarn's Institute, Cardiff. Despite retiring in 2023 as Lead in Wales for Anna Chaplaincy, Sally continues to both train and write new resources for us. 'My role is simply to pass on what I have learnt,' she said.
Gratitude was expressed for the training support provided by Co-ordinators Liz Kelly in Peterborough, Wendy Haslam in Bath and Wells, Emma Sneddon in Portsmouth and Marie Lucchetta-Redmond in Ely. We also heard from former director of the Edinburgh-based charity Faith in Older People, Maureen O'Neill who joined us for the Gathering and has been so active in promoting Anna Chaplaincy in Scotland and the relevant training courses.
Julia detailed how there have now been 60 Anna Chaplaincy training courses both online and in person, as well as 10 Spiritual Care Series courses delivered online and in local areas. Popular online themed workshops in the current schedule include topics such as Care Home Ministry and Working with Carers to help Anna Chaplains update their skills.
Quiet Days
The 'Ageing with Grace' Quiet Days mentioned, run by Katherine and her husband Hugh have taken pace in Wales and Birmingham (see our blog) with at least one more planned for next year as a result of these successful pilots.
Gold Groups
Another pilot project that's showing the value of good peer-to-peer supervisory support are the Gold Groups being trialled in Kent. So far there have been three Zoom groups set up for Anna Chaplains and Anna Friends in the county, each with four members, plus a host. Every meeting focuses on a helpful scenario, that's outlined and then discussed by participants using a Reflective Practice Model. Julia said:
'Those taking part feel heard and affirmed by people who really care.'
Network Chaplain
The third pilot the team has been running is thanks to volunteer Network Chaplain (and former national Anna Chaplaincy co-ordinator) Alex Burn. To support network members who may be going through a tough patch in their ministry, or face a particular challenge, this is online, time-limited support from Alex.
Alex provides three or four online meetings over a given period for those who could benefit from an experienced listening ear, as Julia explained:
'They are meeting someone with whom they can "tell it like it is", acknowledge their feelings to and find a way forward. It helps them to gain a sense of perspective and see what's really happening.'
Feedback from those who have signed on so far indicates that having the help of the Network Chaplain has given individuals, 'the permission to set boundaries and reflect on the toll that some of the work entails.'
Role-play
To show everyone present at the Gathering just how a 'typical' meeting might unfold, Sally and Katherine role-played a fictional conversation between an Anna Chaplain and the Network Chaplain. Notes had been supplied to them both beforehand by Alex who unfortunately hadn't been able to attend the Gathering after all.
Group discussion afterwards indicated the extent to which many Anna Chaplains had shared experiences of the kinds of problems such intensive listening-ministry can bring; feelings of being overwhelmed by the workload, or a lack of professional supervision or, indeed, line-management that is either absent or of an unhelpful kind. Debbie Ducille added:
'I think of such support as being like a trellis; a structure operating to support and to enable flourishing growth. We want you to keep on being amazing! We owe a deep debt of gratitude to all the trainers we have. In them, we've won the gold medal!'
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