Anna Chaplaincy
The Meeting Place Anna Chaplaincy is part of a national network to provide ministry to older people, run for us by our Anna Chaplain along with Anna Friends and other volunteers.
See the latest TMP Anna Chaplaincy newsletter.
For more details please ring or message on 07518 735729
or email at ac@themeetingplace.org.uk
Liz Tapp, our Anna Chaplain, was commissioned at a service at St Nicolas Church on 3/11/2024.
Events
Living Well in Older Age
The next Living Well in Older Age event is a session on Scam Awareness on Wednesday March 18 2026 from 10:30am – 12pm at Bookham Library.
We have run previous sessions in the ‘Living Well in Older Age’ series covering financial planning for later life, the Surrey wellbeing and community responder services and transport bus services, useful equipment such as scam call blockers and alarm buttons, homemoving and downsizing, living with technology, getting our affairs sorted with particular emphasis on powers of attorney, budgeting in retirement led by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau, how to live well in your own home led by a speaker from Mole Valley Life, coping with dementia led by Robin Thomson, a morning with Surrey Sensory Services, and a session with a therapy dog.
Carol services
Every December we hold a carol service with memorable carols at Eastwick Road Church, Bookham. Details will appear here closer to the event
Holiday at Home
Next year (2026) we plan to run further Home days at Eastwick Road Church on a couple of days in the summer. Details will be available nearer the time.
In 2025 we had two days with a Summer Fun theme. In 2024 we enjoyed a day’s ‘cruise’ without having to leave Bookham with a theme of Ship to Shore. In 2023 we offered a virtual trip to Scotland, with Scottish Country Dancing, talks about Edinburgh and Glasgow, and plenty of tartan. In 2022, we offered virtual days out at the seaside. Everyone was invited to a trip down memory lane to Margate or Brighton, and a Memory Gatherer’s session focused on seaside memories.
Memory Gatherers
The Memory Gatherers’ Group was led by Chris Leonard, one of our Anna Friends. At each of the 6 sessions Chris chose a topic which allowed participants to share memories with each other and to bring these memories together in a way that could be passed onto others e.g in a scrapbook or audio file. The group was a first for the Chaplaincy and its success means we will repeat it at some time in the future.
About Anna Chaplaincy
The Meeting Place (TMP) has worked for over 10 years from its base in Bookham to support those who are isolated in our community. Two years ago we appointed Anne Milton-Worssell as our first Anna Chaplain, and are now pleased to welcome Elizabeth Tapp to continue the work of reaching out to older people in Bookham and District.
TMP has been authorised by the BRF to establish this post, which is one of a growing number of Anna Chaplains across the country, with a specific ministry to older people. Our Anna Chaplain works with a team of Anna Friends and other volunteers who visit local care homes and offer a befriending service. Click here for the national Anna Chaplaincy website.
Our first Anna Chaplain , Anne Milton-Worssell, along with ten Anna Friends, were Commissioned at a service at Bookham Baptist Church in January 2022. We were pleased to welcome Alex Burn from the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF), and clergy from all our local churches. The uplifting service was very well attended. To see the service online click here.
The Chaplain’s responsibilities include:
- Offering spiritual support to older people whether they are living in their own home, care homes or sheltered housing
- Supporting and training family and professional carers in the delivery of spiritual care as part of an old person’s care needs
- Advocating for the needs of older people across our churches and the wider community.