DAVID PITKEATHLY

I have spent four years serving as Chaplain to the Dorking Christian Centre on a part-time contract. It is a busy centre offering practical support to the people of the town and surrounding area. It hosts amoung other caring initiatives a community fridge, a community wardrobe, a foodbank, and a cafe and has a broad base of people using the building . A large proportion of users are vulnerable, a majority would be of older age and they reveal a variety of practical, economic, spiritual and emotional needs. It has been my role to be a visible and accessible pastor offering listening support, compassionate advice and where appropriate signposting to other agencies of care. I have also offered a programme of monthly dementia friendly worship and seasonal Bible Studies.

I have shared in the leading of a monthly dementia support cafe and we too now offer a form of 'singing for the brain.'

Under my direction, a warm space has opened offering breakfast, warmth and companionship in the winter months and a parish nursing project has commenced.

I have chaired the monthly meetings of the oversight committee of the Centre and participated actively in the life of the Methodist Circuit which own the Centre.

I work 10 hours a week supporting a small congregation as it strives to move forward after a ministerial vacancy. I am employed to lead regular worship, encourage and develop new outreach initiatives, increase the number of users of their excellent building and help them to consider their future life and mission.

I served for 14 years as parish minister to 2 congregations in North Cumbria.

During that period I was one of the two founders of the Carlisle Foodbank and served on its leadership body for 10 years. I also helped found Carlisle Street Pastors, a ministry to the night-time community. With a neighbouring Church I helped develop the City's first Dementia friendly worship service.

I was a member of the Dementia Forum of Carlisle City Council and also participated on committees of Council that sought to address homelessness and cost of living pressures.

I was a Governor of the large Church of England School, Trinity School in Carlisle and for 10 years a member of the Standing Advisory Committee for Religious Education for Cumbria.

I was a Chaplain at two Primary Schools, one in a small town and the other in a rural hamlet.

I chaired for 3 years the Social Responsibility Committee of Churches Together in Cumbria and was a member of its Dementia Forum. We established Dementia enablers in a majority of Cumbrian Churches and we brought to the County a first Anna Chaplain.

During my years in Cumbria, I developed a retail chaplaincy in Carlisle City Centre, served for 6 years as an part-time chaplain at the University of Cumbria and was also chaplain for a year at Gretna Football Club.

During my time in Peterhead, I was Chaplain at 2 Primary Schools and conducted assemblies in the main secondary school, Peterhead Academy.

I also had a part-time paid chaplaincy at the Peterhead Ugie Hospital. I supported patients in both unlocked and locked wings of the building. Both were older peoples' units and the later specialised in dementia care. I offered a weekly act of worship.

I conducted regular services in two local nursing homes.

I began working life as a solicitor in two general practices. I did court work, wills, trust and executries, conveyancing and a variety of other forms of legal advice.