“We want to be there to help people”

What is it that you do as Caravan Chaplain?

We go to as many caravan and home parks as we can on the East Coast, between Skegness and Mablethorpe. We are dependent on site owners to let us go on there. Generally, we wander around and talk to people who want to talk to us. Conversations can be about winning a football match, or about a spouse who recently died. You never know what you're going to get. There are 38,000 caravans and homes on the East Coast in Lincolnshire. That's a lot to visit and we mainly help people whose caravan is their home. It’s a seasonal lifestyle as many home parks are closed for a couple of months in the winter.

Why did you feel called to chaplaincy?

I'm a Methodist preacher. People approach me after services and want to talk about things. Becoming a chaplain is just an extension of that, but now I am putting myself out and see if people want to come and talk to me. The Caravan Chaplaincy was set up five years ago, but, because of COVID, it’s still developing. We've still got a long, long way to go, but the biggest problem is getting enough chaplains to be able to go around. If you've got 38,000 vans to visit, it's not easy for a team of 10 people.

What is it about Methodism that is different from other faiths and approaches to chaplaincy?

Being a chaplain is wanting to be there to help people. You don't have to be a Methodist to do it, we are an ecumenical team.

Tell me about one person you’ve met where you’ve had an impact on their lives.

We have a group that we formed at Inger Mills. The ladies there were familiar with each other from the site, but they didn’t know each other personally. We organised a coffee morning and invited them to join us under a gazebo. As a result, we now meet every week to play games, have quizzes, enjoy coffee and chat for a couple of hours. They love it and look forward to it every week. It provides them with a place to go and they have gotten to know each other better through these gatherings. While they knew each other from the online site, this group has become more of a friendship circle where they can connect on a deeper level.