The pandemic has shone a spotlight on the complex needs of older people. One organisation that’s seen a rise in numbers of people wanting to help those in the older age category is Anna Chaplaincy.

Anna Chaplains - named after the faithful widow ‘Anna’ who appears in Luke’s gospel - are community-based.

Independent research shows ‘Anna Chaplains are present with older people, their families, and care staff in a multitude of ways: as friends, pastors, and ministers; sharing conversation, hopes, fears, prayers and laughter. They’re in family homes, communities and clubs, church groups, care and nursing homes, through joy and loss, life to death. To those they serve, they are quite simply, essential.’

Impact Report 2021 https://www.annachaplaincy.org.uk/impact-report-2021

The Anna Chaplaincy network is now more than 200-strong and is now in Scotland, with network members in South Lanarkshire, Nairn and Orkney.

Anna Chaplains (male and female) often pursue a vocation to work in their own communities on reaching retirement-age themselves, finding renewed meaning and purpose in local ministry.

If you’d like to find out more, take part in a joint webinar on 6 April 2022 from 4.30pm – 6pm with Faith in Older People and the Anna Chaplaincy team, led by Pioneer of the movement and former broadcaster, Debbie Thrower.