gmim annual report 2009
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Annual Report for the Greater Manchester Industrial MissionTRANSCRIPT
G M I M
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
Annual Report
2008/9
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 2 Annual Report 2008
Contents
Subject Page
Contents 2 GMIM Trust by the Chair of GMIM 3
GMIM Council Members 4 St Antony’s Centre for Church & Industry 5
Retail Chaplaincy ~ Ashton and ASDA 6
Greater Manchester Police 7 Life at the Airport 8/9 Bolton Town Centre Chaplaincy 10/11
Oldham Town Centre Chaplaincy 12 Middlebrook Retail Chaplaincy 13 Farewell to Fr Joe Carter 14
GMIM Team Changes and News 15 Financial Statement 15
GMIM Chaplaincy Team Contact Numbers 16
Front Cover Pictures: Top ~ Induction of Rev Wendy White at The Reebok Stadium
Middle ~ Fr Joseph Carter
Bottom ~ Learning Routes Bus at The Credit Crunch Roadshow in Bolton
Annual Report 2008 3 Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
D Tomlinson
GMIM Trust By David Tomlinson, Chair
Introduction
Over the last 12 months we have seen the fall out of the world economic
crisis; jobless totals rising inexorably, the increase in petty crime and in
particular the loss of faith in politicians.
This report contains some wonderful messages of hope and the
constancy of the Christian message. The faithfulness of Fr Joe Carter,
refreshing news of Chaplains‟ involvement in the world of work and the
growth of relationships across the whole of the faith community in
Greater Manchester.
It is a tremendous privilege to be involved in an organisation that is
delivering in a very practical way Christ‟s message of love, care and concern to those who are
not in touch with “Churchy stuff” and may never have heard anything about it.
Chaplaincy is a growth industry and as the recession retreats we need to be around to pick up
the gauntlet and allow people to renew their confidence through training support and other life
skills.
GMIM are perfectly placed to do this, and we do rely on and require Church leaders and other
faith groups to help and support this activity. Too often, churches, industry, commerce, the
public sector, police etc work in their own widely separate compartments.
This report signposts a way forward. Let us hope and pray we can build on the opportunity.
Thank you to all the chaplains and volunteers, all who have supported us this year and for
Kevin and his team who have put this report together.
If having read this report you would like to support the work of GMIM or assist the
development of the Trust and Chaplaincies, do not hesitate to give us a call.
Enjoy the read and thank you for your continued support.
Chair,
GMIM Council
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 4 Annual Report 2008
GMIM Council Members
The following members have served on the Greater Manchester Industrial Mission Council
during the year 2008/2009. The Council members are Trustees of the GMIM Trust.
GMIM Council Members:
The Right Rev Terence Brain Bishop of Salford Rev Dr Keith Davies Chair, Manchester & Stockport Methodist District
Representatives from the Presidents of Greater Manchester Churches Together
Mr David Tomlinson Chair, GMIM Council Rev Graham Kent GMCT Ecumenical Development Officer Mr James Callaghan Centre for Church & Industry ~ Treasurer Mr Kevin Flanagan GMIM Team ~ Centre for Church and Industry Rev Brian Tomkins GMIM ~ Bolton Town Centre Chaplaincy
Rev Kevin Ball GMIM ~ Manchester Airport Team Rev Chris Baker William Temple Foundation Rev John Piper Oldham Town Centre Chaplaincy
Mr David Parkinson Middlebrook Chaplaincy Rev Philip Brooks Social Cohesion, Bolton The Council meets quarterly to oversee the management of GMIM
GMIM Treasurer: Mr James Callaghan
If you would like to contribute to the work of GMIM and can offer any help or support at a practical level,
GMIM would be pleased to hear from you.
All enquiries should be directed to
GMIM c/o: St Antony’s Centre,
Eleventh Street,
Trafford Park, Manchester
M17 1JF.
Registered Charity No: 1091274
Annual Report 2008 5 Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
St Antony’s Centre for Church & Industry By Kevin Flanagan, Director
During the past year the Centre has continued
to develop its training programmes to meet
the needs of those facing redundancy or
unemployment as a direct consequence of the
economic crisis. The Centre is working in
partnership with the GMB Reach Out Project,
TUC Unionlearn and with local employers
and employees. Together we have
established a range of Learning Centres in
employers‟ premises as well as initiatives to
respond to urgent redundancy situations
resulting in several hundred employees
receiving special training and support in the
run up to redundancy. The Wincanton Depot
in Trafford Park sadly faced this situation
earlier this year. The Centre Team responded
by providing support and advice as well as a
range of courses to assist the employees to
gain new skills and employment
opportunities.
A significant development has been the
decision to formally close St Antony‟s Parish
as a mass-going Centre on a Sunday due to
the retirement of Fr Joe Carter who has been
a significant player in Industrial Chaplaincy
in Greater Manchester for the past 30 years.
A separate article appears in this Report on
the work of Fr Joe. The Centre Team along
with members of the Greater Manchester
Industrial Mission Team have paid tribute to
his work and the contribution that St
Antony‟s Parish made to Industrial
Chaplaincy throughout its recent history.
The Centre is in discussions around the future
of Chaplaincy on the industrial estate as well
as the development of the Parish of St
Antony‟s as a Centre for Reflection, Worship
and Chaplaincy in Trafford Park. The
Church has been placed under the auspices of
the Centre and its World of Work Apostolate.
The Centre has continued to provide the
administrative and team base for work with
the GMIM Team and Council as well as the
development of Chaplaincies at Oldham
Town Centre, which have progressed well,
and the bringing together of the Bolton Social
Cohesion Project as part of GMIM.
Early in 2009 the Centre decided to open a
new facility in Lancashire responding to the
needs of Migrant Workers, especially the
East European and Polish Community. The
new Accrington Community and Training
Centre (ACT Centre) based in Accrington
was opened in August 2009.
During the year we continued to supervise the
placement of Mike Aspinall as part of his
Training for Ministry. Mike assisted in the
production of a new resource pack for
Churches in response to Workers Memorial
Day. The information was used in Penzance
with fishermen and in a major shopping
facility in the north east. Mike will be
ordained in September 2009 and we wish him
well in his Ministry.
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 6 Annual Report 2008
Retail Chaplaincy in Ashton By Rev Bob Davies
Many readers will be aware of the fire in
May 2004 which destroyed in the interior of
Ashton Market Hall. I have reported
previously on the difficulties of traders, and
the value placed on a chaplain‟s listening
ear, after the move into the temporary
Phoenix Market Hall.
The old Market Hall rebuilding and
refurbishment was completed in Autumn
2008 and opened for trade on 28 November,
just in time for Christmas trade. It was
marked by busy work for all, with many
traders employing extra staff to cope with
the increase in customers.
In the weeks up to Christmas I was able to
arrange for choirs from local church schools
(one 90% Muslim) to entertain shoppers
with Christmas music in the Market Hall.
This continues the tradition of the past few
years but in a new location.
One of the intriguing aspects of the increase
in business now the hall is open
is that workers have less time
for chatting with the chaplain.
That is causing a rethink in
approach and also scope of
work. Fortunately the market
office staff usually can find
time for a few words, with
shared stories of family and
personal illness as well as relief
at being „back home‟.
Contacts in ASDA are
maintained. The Ashton store
is a „Store of Learning‟ where
new department managers from
across the North West go for a
month‟s induction training. I
am encouraged to drop in on
the first day of each course to
talk about Chaplaincy. I use it as an
opportunity to reinforce ASDA national
policy of having store chaplains and to
encourage trainees to enquire about a
chaplain in their home store.
Colleagues at ASDA do find the odd
moment to chat. I have supported in
bereavement and marriage breakdown as
well as sharing the joys, for instance, of
grandchildren.
2009 has brought new possibilities for
chaplaincy in the town. The Anglican
Parish of the Good Shepherd (5 churches
covering much of the town) has appointed
Rev. Roger Reece as a part-time missioner
with the title „Town Centre Chaplain‟.
Roger and I meet regularly to talk about our
work and share ideas for the future.
Your continuing prayers are valued and
bear fruit.
'
Security Guard keeps Chaplain chatting
before police pounce'
Annual Report 2008 7 Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
Greater Manchester Police Chaplaincy By Rev Charles Nevin
The work of Chaplaincy continues across all
Divisions of Greater Manchester Police.
The new (or nearly new) Chief Constable
Mr. Peter Fahy continues to inspire the staff
with his particular focus on Community
Policing. Mr. Fahy is also a committed
Christian and a member of his local Roman
Catholic Church. His faith is very real to
him and he has spoken at a number of
Christian led events including a major
Building Communities event in the
Wythenshawe Forum. Also on the 7th April
he attended a Police service at Salford
Cathedral presided over by the Bishop of
Salford.
As many of you will be aware one of our
longest serving Chaplains, Canon Joe Carter,
was forced to resign through ill-health. Joe
has been a Chaplain at Divisional and
Headquarters levels and his gentle and
supportive presence was welcomed by all
members of the Police service from
Constable to Chief Constable, and from
Clerk to Director. On Maundy Thursday the
9th of April a number of us met at St.
Antony‟s Presbytery
where the Chief
Constable joined us to
present Joe with a
commemorative scroll.
It was a very special
event and I know Joe
appreciated the Chief
taking time out of his
day to visit Joe.
We continue to recruit
new Chaplains but are
still looking to fill some
gaps. A recent recruit
at Force level has been
Bishop Doyé Agama,
the leader of the Black Apostolic Church.
We hope to make some more appointments
later in the year.
The work of the Police continues with
particular emphasis on Community Policing
and the Police Community Support Officers
and perform a very effective role in this
area. The Credit Crunch has impacted on
robberies and burglaries of all types and the
growth of Cannabis Farms in particular has
added to the issues faced by today‟s Police
Service.
The GMP Police Chaplaincy continues to be
part of the National Association of
Chaplains to the Police and a national
training course will be held in Manchester
during October. The Vice President of
NACP is Matt Baggott who was recently
appointed to be Chief Constable of the
Northern Ireland Police. The President
Baroness Harris of Richmond joined us for a
meeting of GMP Chaplains earlier in the
year and at that same meeting we were also
joined by the Chief Constable.
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 8 Annual Report 2008
The Chaplaincy Story of 2008 By Rev Kevin Ball
The Chaplaincy, a registered
charity and company limited
by guarantee, is going from
strength to strength with its
continued diversity and
development.
This year it has completed a
Continuing Ministerial Education session for
the British Isles and Eire Airport Chaplains at
the Morley Retreat Centre.
In order to serve the needs of all the
passengers and staff at the Airport negotiations
are taking place in order that our multi faith
response can be extended with further
volunteer chaplains of other faiths due to the
extra flights to places such as Tel Aviv and
Abu Dhabi. It is also anticipated that we will
increase the number of other Christian
volunteer chaplains also.
The Chaplaincy Team have provided
assistance to those affected by the
restructuring exercise of some of the Airport
Companies and have been welcoming the new
retailers that have recently opened for business
in the terminals following the completion of
the retail refurbishment.
A number of Faith Leaders have been
welcomed to the Airport including the Chief
Rabbi the head of the Egyptian Coptic Church
and the President of the Methodist Conference
as well as other Bishops and church leaders.
A holistic approach has now been agreed
with the Occupational Health Doctor and
practitioners in a joint Health, Human
Resource and Chaplaincy provision for
staff employed by Manchester Airport and
associated companies. This will commence
in the near future.
As Chaplaincy to Group Headquarters we
are now considering the Chaplaincy
Provision across the Group and are
providing input to Group
literature and the Intranet
and it is anticipated that
there will be a training and
familiarisation conference
for the Group Chaplains in
the North West this year.
A new Chaplaincy Centre will have been
handed over to The Chaplaincy Team by the
builders by the time this report is published
which will mean a purpose built area for
Prayer, Work and Counselling.
The programme on BBC4 Airport Secret Lives
was broadcast and brought quite a reaction
from people within and outside of the airport.
Radio 4‟s Morning Service was broadcast
from Terminal 2 Prayer Room on Easter
Monday and numerous interviews with the
media have taken place.
We have provided advice to retail, business
and public bodies in relation to prayer rooms
and chaplaincy services and continue to
provide training for people training for
Christian Ministry and also the Senior
Chaplain is involved in training Muslim
Chaplains at the Islamic Centre as part of their
University Course.
A new venture is the provision of blessings of
marriages and renewal of marriage vows on
board Concorde at the Concorde Centre.
Registered Company No: 3664008 Charity No: 1074781
Annual Report 2008 9 Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
Concorde has been licensed for civil marriages
and ceremonies for some time with the
Manchester Registrar. A French couple
travelled from Paris to renew their vows on
board.
The service took place in the back cabin with
flowers and bows and service book with quiet
music playing as they left the aircraft and a
celebration drink of champagne or orange
juice before a tour of the aircraft.
The Chaplaincy continues to
work in partnership with The
Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, The Forced Marriage
Unit, UK Borders Agency,
Ministry of Defence and other
Non Government Organisations who provide
pastoral care and assistance for British
Citizens. This is a 24/7 responsibility and it is
not unknown for all of the team to have been
out on call over a weekend and through the
night.
The team continue to meet bereaved families
returning from holidays without loved ones or
who need to be told, on their return, that a
loved one has died.
A protocol has now been devised with the
Chaplains working in partnership with North
West Ambulance Service, Greater Manchester
Police, Airport Staff and Airline staff to deal
with incidents of passengers dying on board a
flight inbound to Manchester.
Christian Pilgrimage Tours
are greeted whenever the
team are aware of the travel
arrangements and work with
the airlines to ensure a
smo o t h a nd p le a sa n t
experience for the pilgrim.
The team will soon be
looking at the provision for
Hajj flights as we have just
completed Ramadan and last
season. The Team were
involved in meetings with ACPO and the
Home Office which resulted in there being no
particular problems at Manchester last year.
Daily Prayer at the airport sustains the
Chaplains, staff and passengers who join
together in the prayer room to pray and it is
not unusual to have Christian, Jewish and
Islamic prayer taking place at the same time in
the prayer room and on leaving all sharing a
sign of peace.
In addition to
our normal
keeping of
remembrance
tide this year
the team,
working in
par tnership
with The Concorde Centre; intend to produce a
mini tattoo and festival of remembrance under
the wings of Concorde on 10th November.
During December in conjunction with retail it
intends to produce “A Celebration of
Christmas Home and Away” with the theme of
Christmas from areas of the world covered by
airlines from Manchester involving music and
drama from participants of schools and
colleges around the area.
The Manchester Enterprise Academy, of
which Manchester Airport is the lead industry,
is being supported by staff from the Airport
including the Chaplains in joining with other
chaplains and ministers to provide mentoring
and pastoral and spiritual support to staff and
students.
Emergency Planning, Diversity Training,
Dignity at Work, Hate Crime Reporting,
Independent Advisory Groups, North West
Regional Government, Black Clergy
Association, IACAC, involvement with local
churches, faith groups and local communities
all go on but with so little time to tell it all.
This is just a snapshot of what has been
happening throughout the year as The
Chaplaincy Board, Group Chaplains and all
colleagues in Chaplaincy have supported us.
It has been such a thriving time for The
Chaplaincy Team and they have enjoyed every
minute particularly with the feedback being so
positive and encouraging.
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 10 Annual Report 2008
Bolton Town Centre Chaplaincy
By Rev Alan Scantlebury
Changing Times: As we write this report,
the credit crunch is
having an impact on our
„parish‟, the retail sector. In June a new link
with Woolworth‟s staff began, with monthly
visits by a new volunteer serving tea in the
staff rest room over a lunch period.
Unfortunately, the management changed in
September, and since then the company has
been in deep crisis. We pray for the staff who
are undergoing a worrying time of uncertainty.
This Christmas we tried to build on our
Advent experience in Costa Coffee at
Waterstones from last year. However, it was
difficult for shop staff to attend as they are so
busy at Christmas and often don‟t get a lunch
break at all.
Throughout the year our team of volunteers
has had regular fortnightly contact with
approximately 80 retail outlets in the Town
Centre. Conversations range from day to day
pleasantries to family matters, from
celebration of achievements to dealing with
bereavement. One Travel Agency worker
remarked “It really makes our day when you
drop in!”
Changing Places: Following the closure of the Town Centre
Management Company, in May the Chaplain
moved from the Old Turkish Baths in Great
Moor Street to The Hub on Bold Street, where
we “hot desk” with the team from the
Christian Community Cohesion Project.
Changing Faces: Jean Hurlston moved on in September, and
Alan Scantlebury was appointed as the new
Chaplain in October. Alan previously served
as a local church leader in Bolton and in May
he joined the Christian Cohesion project. We
thank Jean for all the work she has put into the
chaplaincy this year, and wish her every
success as she takes up a full-time role as a
college chaplain.
Chaplaincy Associates: There are three
v o l u n t e e r
a s s o c i a t e
chaplains: Pat
Rea, URC lay
worker, Dilys
T o m k i n s , a
Methodist lay
worker and Revd
Peter Waterson, an Anglican non-stipendiary
priest. We are extremely grateful for their
tremendous loyalty and hard work. We are
always looking for more volunteers who have
good pastoral skills, who are in good standing
with their own faith community and who have
an interest in workplace chaplaincy. Many
people take up chaplaincy roles in order to test
out and develop a calling to offer a ministry to
the community. We have also appreciated the
involvement of Mike Aspinall, a URC student
minister on placement with us this year.
Chaplaincy Reflective: In April, chaplains from different parts of
Bolton (e.g. university, BWFC, hospitals and
hospice) met again together to share good
practice, resources and expertise. The focus
was on Community Cohesion. In preparation,
each chaplaincy conducted its own audit and
the data was analysed. The results showed
what a major role chaplaincy plays in bringing
communities together, an issue high on the
agenda for local and national government
Nite Café:
Bolton has a vibrant night life when it comes
to bars and clubs. After much discussion and
consultation, a Night Time Café project was
finally trialled over the summer of 2008. The
three month pilot scheme began in July at
Bolton
Town Centre Chaplaincy
Annual Report 2008 11 Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
Bank Street Unitarian Chapel, situated right in
the heart of clubland! Open from 9.30 pm to
2.30 am each Saturday, volunteers in the Café
served non alcoholic drinks, toast and
teacakes, whilst offering a helping hand, a
listening ear and a loving heart to revellers in
distress. Between 30 and 40 people were
referred to the Café by Police or Town
Ambassadors over the three months. Plans are
afoot to re-launch the project next year in a
more sustainable and effective way.
Meanwhile, in response to requests from the
Police, the café re-opened for two weekends
before Christmas.
Key Milestones of 2008: February Involved in leading sessions on the
Lent Course run by Christians
Together in Bolton Town Centre
March Good Friday procession and Easter
celebration in Victoria square
April Chaplaincy Reflective at Bolton
University
May Civic Service at Bolton Parish
Church
Chaplaincy office relocation to the
Hub
June Fund raising event for Burma and
China in Victoria Square
July Pilot for the Nite Café begins
(through to October)
October Nite Café evaluation
November Recruitment drive for Nite Café
volunteers
December Costa Coffee Advent reflections
Nite Café re-opens for Christmas
by special request
Chaplaincy Partners and Funding: The initiative for the Chaplaincy began with
Christians Together in Bolton Town Centre
(CTBTC), and is supported by Bolton Council.
Throughout the past five years, the Chaplaincy
has grown and developed supported by the
Churches & local Charitable Trusts.
To date this initiative has cost over £42,000
with, in addition, considerable help of „gifts in
kind‟. We would like to take this opportunity
to thank all who have contributed to the
support and development of the Chaplaincy.
The Chaplaincy is managed through Greater
Manchester Industrial Mission (GMIM), a
registered charity which draws together other
workplace chaplaincies such as the well
respected Manchester Airport Chaplaincy.
Management Group: Overseeing the operation of the Chaplaincy is
a group comprising representatives from both
the business and faith sectors, as listed below:-
David Tomlinson
Chair, Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
Kevin Flanagan
Director, Centre for Church & Industry,
Trafford Park
Rev Phil Mason
Superintendent Minister,
Victoria Hall Methodist Mission
Rev Dr Brian Tomkins
Minister,
Victoria Hall Methodist Mission
Phil Glanvill
Chaplaincy Treasurer
Tony Edisbury
URC of St Andrew & St George
Rev Philip Brooks
Project Manager,
Bolton Christian Community Cohesion
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 12 Annual Report 2008
Oldham Town Centre Chaplaincy
By Rev John Piper
PICTURED (from the left) are:
Janet Appleyard, Jutta Kuhn, Edvin Nyathi and the Rev
Rick Preston from the Oldham Baptist Church
This year has seen the Oldham Town Centre
Chaplaincy formally adopted by the GMIM
Council as one of GMIM‟s supported
projects. The Oldham project has been in
close liaison with GMIM since it was born in
2006, but this formal adoption by the Council
was an important milestone in the project‟s
life. It recognised the ongoing development
of the work in Oldham and, in particular, the
establishment of a local management group
including representatives from Oldham Town
Centre Churches Together, the Oldham Inter-
faith Forum, and the local authority.
The aims of the project remain as they were:
to be a caring supportive presence for all
those working in Oldham town centre –
people of all faiths and none; to provide a
„listening ear‟; to do what it can, as part of the
Oldham town centre community, to enhance
the working environment in the town; and to
promote understanding between people of
different faiths and none.
There is great need for this work in
Oldham and a great desire from all
the faith communities to make it
happen. It is regrettable that we
are currently seriously constrained
by the limited time available to the
five current members of the
chaplaincy team, who are doing
this work on a very part time basis
alongside their many other
responsibilities. Thus, the main
priority at the moment is to put
together a „business case‟ that
might enable us to attract funding
for a paid co-ordinator post. This
would enable us to recruit, train
and support other people to operate
as volunteer chaplains in the town
centre.
In the mean time, we use our limited
resources as effectively as we can to meet,
support and develop relationships with those
who work in the town centre. Some of us
have been working with Council officers and
others develop a Credit crunch road-show
that will operate over the next year. Also, as
part of the town‟s Festival of Diversity this
year, we staffed a stall in Spindles, the town‟s
main shopping precinct, for three days. We
had scores of interesting conversations and
received over 100 prayer requests that were
taken back to our own churches to be
included in our prayers of intercession. One
person returned one afternoon to tell us that
the prayer request he had left in the morning
had already been answered. „O ye of little
faith‟! Isn‟t it amazing how, when we think
we are being really brave and adventurous,
we find that God is already there ahead of us?
John Piper
September 2009
Annual Report 2008 13 Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
Middlebrook Retail Chaplaincy By Rev Wendy White
The Chaplaincy at Middlebrook started as a
pilot scheme to „test the water‟ for four months
from April 2008. It was enthusiastically
received by both retailers and management and
consequently Revd Wendy White was
ordained as the Ecumenical Co-ordinating
Chaplain on 1st November 2008.
It has been a busy year. A short Armistice
Service which was designed to be accessible to
both staff and shoppers was held on 11th
November but most initiatives have been much
less formal.
Weekly visiting to the majority of stores at
Middlebrook led to fascinating and
challenging conversations. It also leads to a
few surprises! (see picture!) In addition we
have explored how to support stores during
their peak times.
This resulted in a pre-Christmas initiative
encouraging shoppers to say „thank you;‟ to
staff as they shopped, to offer „thank you‟
cards and to express their
appreciation for particularly
good service. Stores and
staff appreciated this and
several shop managers
noted the „thank you‟s on
staff records and ensured
that staff efforts were
recognised internally. In
addition, as volunteers
handed out cards to arriving
shoppers for them to pass
on we had many interesting
conversations – shoppers
were particularly impressed
with the idea of churches
working together and no
donations being requested!
At Easter the Park
Management encouraged
the chaplaincy to explore
the possibility of being
„visible‟ in the Park and Wendy undertook
story-telling‟ based in various shops,
entertaining children with a version of the
events leading up to Easter through the eyes of
the gardener ‟s children.
It has also been a year for training. In the
autumn the Chaplaincy supervised a placement
for an Anglican OLM in training, which he
survived and even enjoyed! In addition the
chaplaincy has built into its founding
documents the encouragement to involve
churches in economic life and not to be distant
from the work of the chaplaincy. As Wendy
has been invited to preach, or lead worship,
across local denominations there has been
much interest and therefore through May to
July there was a training course, based on
IMA outlines, for anyone exploring the
possibility of volunteering for the team. Also
open to chaplains and explorers from the town
centre chaplaincy this has resulted in six
chaplains currently being introduced on
Middlebrook with a seventh to come online
after Christmas. This is
enabling Wendy to extend the
chaplaincy to other stores
which the chaplaincy had not
previously had the resources
to gift. The interest has been
such that there are plans to
rerun the course in October for
more people interested in
being involved – which would
enable the chaplaincy to be
extended into the vast
surrounding business park –
which was always part of the
original vision.
It feels like a blessed, but
whirlwind year. Over October
we will be involved in the
support for Cancer Awareness
and then the cycle from
November will start over
again!
We noticed (bottom left hand corner)
that perhaps Partyland was offering a
surprising service!
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 14 Annual Report 2008
Farewell to Fr Joe Carter The Annual Report for
2008/9 could not be
complete without a tribute
being paid to Fr Joe Carter
who was part time Industrial Chaplain and
Parish Priest of St Antony‟s Church, Trafford
Park. Fr Joe became involved in Chaplaincy
originally to the Police Service at Greymare
Lane Police Station in the 1980‟s which was
later developed as Chaplaincy to the Police
Headquarters, Chester House in Old Trafford.
He continued to serve as Chaplain to the Police
up till 2009. Recently Chief Constable Peter
Fahy made a presentation to Fr Joe in
recognition of the service he has given to the
Police and Chaplaincy in Greater Manchester.
Fr Joe‟s Industrial Chaplaincy started when he
was curate in the Parish of St Alphonsus at Old
Trafford in the 1970‟s through his contact with
Rev Brian Cordingly. When he was appointed
as the Parish Priest of St Antony‟s, Trafford
Park in 1975, he very quickly started to develop
a response to the needs of the community living
in the heart of Trafford Park which were under
threat of re-development and compulsory
purchase orders. Working with members of the
community and local churches, he established
the Trafford Park Residents Association which
was to become a significant group representing
the interests of local people as they dealt with
the consequences of re-development and the
loss of their houses. He eventually joined the
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission Council
and was Chaplain to the Kellogg Company of
Great Britain which was later added to with
Chaplaincies at Mr Kiplings Wythenshawe
Bakery, Brooke Bond later to become
Batchelors Fine Foods and to Duerrs Jam
originally in Old Trafford. In the late 1980‟s a
video was produced by a team from the
University of Manchester Media Studies Unit
which dealt with the work of Fr Joe as Chaplain
and Parish Priest in the area of Trafford Park
“Industrial Strength”. The video captured very
well the person centred approach of the
Chaplaincy that Fr Joe has always offered and
the warm appreciation by local employees to his
style of ministry and his commitment to walking
alongside those in the World of Work. This was
further recognised by the Trafford Park
Business Forum who appointed Fr Joe as their
Chaplain.
Fr Joe was instrumental in helping to establish
the St Antony‟s Centre for Church & Industry
with the co-founder Kevin Flanagan, the present
Director and a member of the GMIM Team.
Throughout the late 1980‟s and „90‟s, Fr Joe
served on the Trafford Park Development
Corporation Community Liaison Committee,
again reflecting the needs of the Churches and
the community on the key issues of economic
development. He worked for a number of years
alongside the Rev Rowland Goodwin who was
also appointed to serve on the Industrial Estate.
The trio of Kevin, Rowland and Fr Joe were
significant influences on the development of the
area and key community links for churches and
people in the World of Work.
Fr Joe throughout this time retained a very
active Parish of St Antony‟s despite the removal
of the residents of the area in the early 1980‟s.
The Parish continued to flourish with people
drawn to the style of ministry and engagement
that Fr Joe offered. Many felt they had obtained
a personal chaplain. Fr Joe‟s energies were
unbounding with his service as the Chaplain to
the Centre for Church & Industry, as Chair of
the National Conference of Priests, Chaplain to
the Salford Diocesan Young Christian Workers
movement and for a period serving as YCW
National Chaplain. He also served as the
Chaplain to the National Catholic Lay
Association (NCLA).
It is without doubt that the list of contributions
Fr Joe has made not only to the World of Work
but to the important area of the Adult Lay
Apostolate and encouraging people to become
active in their own workplace, Trade Union or
Community from a Christian perspective is
significant. The Church as a whole and
Trafford Park in particular owes Fr Joe a
significant debt for his unstinting contribution to
serving people offering a great witness as a
Priest and Chaplain to people in work.
Fr Joe retired to Gainford in July 2009, we wish
him every blessing for the future.
Annual Report 2008 15 Greater Manchester Industrial Mission
Bolton Christian Cohesion
The Bolton Christian Community Cohesion
BCCC development team is now in its second
year under the revised Area Based Grant
format. This past year has been a very
exciting journey. There is now a staff team of
five with an expanded work brief, reaching a
much wider audience. BCCC is represented
on numerous forums and partnership
meetings across the Borough. This increase in
knowledge, networking and involvement has
served to highlight the valuable work of
churches and Christian groups operating at
grass roots level across Bolton.
The current phase of funding ends in 2011
but the aim is to produce a five year strategic
plan. There are two key objectives. The first
focus is to empower our Christian partners
with the right training, support and resources
to practically help our neighbours here in
Bolton, bringing back a sense of community
and belonging to our neighbourhoods. A
practical example of this has been the X-
change conferences which have been running
throughout the year. One of these events
focused on funding and volunteering. The
aim was to empower the Christian
community with the skills and information to
locate the resources required for the
community work it seeks to undertake.
BCCC‟s other focus is to bring better
understanding of the various aspects of the
main faiths in Bolton. Through this interfaith
working, barriers of misunderstanding can be
broken down, enabling neighbours to live
together in harmony through a shared
understanding and a respect of each other‟s
beliefs. This has been practically worked out
in the successful faith trails which have been
running predominantly for local schools.
This is where pupils have the opportunity to
learn about cohesion and faith communities
by visiting a mosque, temple and church.
The trail celebrates the positive aspects from
the different faiths that unite us, rather than
focusing on the differences that separate us.
The project is supported by an active and
committed management team. These are a
group of church leaders across the
denominations and leaders of Christian
organisations in Bolton working together
with GMIM. The practical help, skills and
support this partnership brings, enables us be
very effective in our endeavours as we seek
to live out God‟s Kingdom.
Thank you GMIM for your much valued
support.
Greater Manchester Industrial Mission 16 Annual Report 2008
Meet the GMIM Team
Rev Wendy White
Area: Middlebrook
Retail Park
Rev Alan Scantlebury
Area: Bolton
Town Centre
07887 710690
Mr Kevin Flanagan
Roman Catholic
Area: Trafford Park
And Trade Unions
0161 848 9173
Rev Brian Tomkins
Methodist
Area: Bolton
Town Centre
01204 845 049
Rev Terry Simms
Roman Catholic
Area: Manchester
Airport
0161 489 2113
Rev John Piper
United Reformed Church
Area: Oldham Town
Centre
0780 156 1312
Rev Bob Davies
Methodist
Area: Ashton Town
Centre
01457 837485
Rev Charles Nevin
Anglican
Area: Greater
Manchester Police
0161 485 3397
Rev Kevin Ball
Anglican
Area: Manchester
Airport
0161 489 2838
Rev Philip Brooks
Project Manager
GMIM Office Address
St Antony‟s Centre for Church and Industry
Eleventh Street, Trafford Park, Manchester M17 1JF
Tel: 0161-848 9173 ~ Fax: 0161-872 9480
E-mail: ~ www.stantonyscentre.org.uk
Bolton Christian Cohesion Project Workers
Nadine Waterhouse; Tracey Kane; Karen Openshaw and Caroline Wyke
The Bolton Hub Bold Street Bolton BL1 1LS
01204 546 138