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
Events
Living Well in Older Age
For the next Living Well in Older Age, the elderly and their carers are invited to come and meet Georgie and her beautiful fully trained pet therapy dog Jackson. This is on Wednesday 27 November 10:30am – 12pm at Bookham Library. Click here for details.
We have run previous sessions in the ‘Living Well in Older Age’ series covering 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, and a morning with Surrey Sensory Services.
Carol services
Join us for this year’s carol service with memorable carols at Eastwick Road Church, Bookham on Wednesday 4 December 2024 starting with refreshments at 10:15am. This will be led by the Anna Chaplain, with carols, mince pies, refreshments and friendship, Click here for details.
Holiday at Home
In August we enjoyed Holiday at Home 2024 on the theme Ship to Shore – a day’s ‘cruise’ without having to leave Bookham.
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 focussed 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.