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Welcoming of Assistant Chaplain to West Suffolk Hospital

Media invitation

Time:        12 noon

Date:         Wednesday 11th February

Venue:      Chapel of the Good Samaritan, West Suffolk Hospital,  Bury St Edmunds

A Welcoming and Commissioning Ceremony for Judith Gilbert, the new Assistant Chaplain at West Suffolk Hospital, will take place on Wednesday February 11th at 12 noon. Media are invited to attend.

Judith began working at the West Suffolk Hospital on 1st January 2004, following the retirement of Mrs Eilish Heath. She will be formally welcomed to the Trust on February 11th at a service in the Hospital Chapel.

The Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Services help to provide religious, spiritual and pastoral care for all members of the hospital community at the West Suffolk in Bury St Edmunds and at the Sudbury Hospitals – Walnuttree and St Leonard’s.  The service provision is multi-faith and is also available for those who have no religious attachment.  Judith joins a large, ecumenical team of Chaplains and volunteers.

Revd David Crawley, Manager of Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care Services, said: “We welcome Mrs Judith Gilbert to our Chaplaincy team at the West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust and look forward to developing our work together.  Judith brings with her ten years’ valuable experience of Chaplaincy work in the Higher Education sector, and I am sure she will be able to successfully help care for the spiritual and pastoral needs of our staff and patients.”

Mrs Judith Gilbert, new Assistant Chaplain, said: “I have been warmly welcomed into the Chaplaincy team and have begun to appreciate the support of a diverse group of people.  I look forward to the challenges of working in an acute hospital and hope to make strong links with staff as well as supporting patients and relatives.”

Judith has been a university Chaplain at the University of East Anglia for the previous ten years, and currently lives in Norwich with her family.  She has long experience of ecumenical team work and a multi-faith community. 

She found herself unexpectedly in Chaplaincy work in the early 90’s when a previous Chaplain fell sick.  Supported by the Methodist Church and United Reformed Churches, together with the University she developed ministry there as a lay person within the Chaplaincy team.  Judith, together with her husband Vince, hopes to move to Bury St Edmunds later in 2004 when their youngest daughter has finished school.

(2 February 2004)

 

 

   
West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust