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News from our Voluntary & Part-Time Chaplains 

 

Revd Julie Aylward

SE Ambulance Service

SECAMBI have been a volunteer chaplain with the Ambulance service, based in Thanet, for three years now. I attend the station for four hours a week, plus the occasional call out if there has been an extremely distressing incident.

To quote a senior chaplain: It has been an immense pleasure and privilege to be able to support the amazing ambulance staff, those out on the road and those back at the station. I’ve had fascinating conversations, deep discussions, listened to joy, sorrow, and anger, laughed and cried. It really is an amazing opportunity to walk alongside and support those who deal with challenging situations every day. I love my role.

I meet with everyone on station form the most senior, to team leaders, crews, and support staff in the Make Ready centre who clean, prepare and stock the ambulances, to the mechanics who try to keep them all on the road. Very occasionally I will go out on a 12 hour shift so I can see first hand the joys and massive challenges staff face, including violence and an NHS that, sometimes, doesn’t work as well as we would wish. The crews are amazing people.

I chat with staff facing personal, as well work, problems. We have recently had a death of a member of staff, alongside serious health issues for several staff, which have affected everyone.

We are also in what has been described to me as ‘suicide season’. Staff have dealt with some very distressing suicides in recent weeks, and they have been able to talk their feelings through with me, as well the support systems that are in place. They can contact a chaplain 24 hours a day.

People often assume my role is to evangelise, but that’s not the case, as it wasn’t when I was in Prison chaplaincy.  Most of my time is spent sitting in the ambulance station drinking lots of coffee and talking to staff. It’s important the staff know me and feel comfortable with me around. I am now part of the furniture. They will come and chat with me in their own time.

I also take cakes in, every few weeks, that I have baked. SECAMBcakeI either get joy or ‘I’m on a diet’ responses or the reverse on the weeks I don’t bake!

Discussions can get deep and spiritual sometimes, led by staff wanting to know more about faith or religion in general. One member of staff has had several discussions with me, and another Christian member of staff, and is now attending an Alpha course and had his new son christened.

Prayer Points:
  • For all the staff as they face unprecedented pressures, especially as winter approaches.
  • For the senior staff as they try to balance budgets, staff welfare, and providing a safe and effective service to the public at their point of greatest need.
  • For all the chaplains as we seek to show God’s love and care to all the staff.
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