2020-12-31-accounts

Annual Report of the Trustees & Chaplains of Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy CIO

2020

From

Ithaka

C.P. Cavafy

As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery…

Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you’re destined for. But don’t hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years, so you’re old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvellous journey. Without her you wouldn’t have set out. She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, You’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.

Ithaka is the island that Odysseus took ten years to return to after the Trojan War. The story of his journey is the Odyssey. Cavafy’s message in the poem is that the point of life is not simply to reach a destination but to enjoy the journey.

Contents
Preface Katherine Compton, Head of Health and Wellbeing Transformation,		4
Heathrow Airport Limited
2020 Overview Steve Buckeridge, Interim Head of Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy		5
Heathrow Chaplains: The role of Curiosity in the making of a Chaplain Some of the team explore the value of being curious		6
A day in the life of a Chaplain Chaplain Ian Smailes		8
St George’s Chapel Chair of the Chapel Standing Committee, Major Christine Perkins,		10
shares her snapshot of 2020
Farewells Revd Howie Adan, Head of Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy (2016-2020)		11
Revd Fr. Daniel Adayi, Lead Chaplain (RC), Heathrow (2018-2021)
Introducing our newest Trustee The Venerable Catherine Pickford, Archdeacon of Northolt		15
Finance & Accounts Adrian Dean, Treasurer HMFC		17
Chaplains & Trustees 2020		18
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Preface

I am honoured to be asked to welcome you to Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy’s Second Annual Report. So much has happened in the last year, it is hard to know where to start. The Covid pandemic has had far reaching consequences for many, including those within the aviation family. We have been forced to close two of our Terminals, watched passenger numbers fall to unprecedented levels and sadly lost many colleagues along the way. However, out of this darkness there are many things to be thankful for and our Chaplains and their invaluable work are one of those.

It is often during our toughest times that we reflect upon what is important to us: the relationships in our lives, our faith, our purpose, what makes us smile – and this is where the Chaplaincy team have helped so many. Despite having to rethink how to connect with passengers and colleagues in this new world, whilst undoubtedly facing their own personal challenges associated with the pandemic, they have continued to provide invaluable reassurance and support to those in need. Just one example of where Chaplains did this was during a period of industrial action, a difficult and upsetting situation for all, where the team made sure that they had an increased presence for anyone that needed help or wanted to talk. This compassion is limitless and appreciated by so many.

This report explores the theme of curiosity and why it is an important attribute for Chaplains, yet I feel many can learn from this approach. Cultivating a curious mind is important for us all, as a protective way in which we can soften the harshness of assumptions and uncertainty and embrace the fact that there is still so much that we can learn and grow from.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone for their dedicated and compassionate support during one of the most difficult years that we will ever face. Together we are stronger and can allow ourselves to be hopeful for a brighter year ahead.

Katherine Compton

Head of Health and Wellbeing Transformation Heathrow Airport Limited

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2020 Overview

Steve Buckeridge, Interim Head of Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy

‘Curioser and curioser’ might well have been Alice’s verdict on 2020, with the aviation industry, our personal lives, religious communities, and chaplaincy itself having all faced incredible challenges.

It was a privilege to take over the operational leadership of the Chaplaincy in November 2020. Howie Adan’s compassionate tenacity brought transformational improvement during his tenure and the tributes I heard when he left were as fitting as they were moving. I want to also pay tribute to the fantastic way so many in the team have responded during the year: there were a number of difficult circumstances where chaplains chose to become involved to give support to the bereaved and suffering; innovations throughout the year included a YouTube channel (‘On a wing and prayer’) with chaplain messages; Chaplaincy responded with wellbeing material for several contexts, and in recent weeks the offering of support to passengers isolated in quarantine hotels.

We are about to do our 50th ‘team zoom’ which, over the past year, has provided training time and the opportunity to be joined by others, including on one occasion the airport’s CEO John Holland-Kaye. These regular times to share our experiences and express our care for each other have been important in building camaraderie. As one of our team said: ‘We have been good Chaplains to each other’.

It is a great reflection on the commitment shown towards the Chaplaincy that even in a year where there was less that could be done physically at the airport, there has still been hundreds of hours volunteered and, in addition to the significant resources given by HAL, over £100,000 of funded chaplains from local religious communities. Along with saying goodbye to Howie, there has also been the departure of Nasreen Ali, Abdul Jabbar, and in the early weeks of 2021, Daniel Adayi and John Parry. We thank them all for their contribution and wish them well. It has been good to welcome Julie King to the team.

My grateful thanks to Katherine Compton for introducing this year’s Annual Report. Current circumstances have illustrated that chaplaincy is about positively contributing to colleague wellbeing as well as customer service for passengers. Thanks also to Kathryn Leahy and Elizabeth Hegarty for the support they continue to provide at the highest levels within HAL. The voluntary efforts and support of the trustees, wisely and capably led by Mark Poulson, have also been appreciated. I am grateful for the hard work of Adele Burgess in compiling the report and for everyone who has contributed. I trust you are sufficiently curious about our work to read it through! I leave you with the words of the 17th Century London poet Abraham Cowley who said:

“Curiosity does, no less than devotion, pilgrims make”.

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The Role of Curiosity in the making of a Chaplain

Our team of 28 Chaplains consists of 22 volunteers who typically do anything from a few hours to two days a week and 6 Chaplains, who are paid by their faith bodies, who do between 2-5 days a week. Together they represent six major world faiths and would describe themselves as an eclectic bunch! However, there are several common features across the team. Almost all the Chaplains have a link to the airport: some worked at the airport before retiring and joining Chaplaincy; others grew up locally and have always felt an affinity with all things aeronautical. Each of the Chaplains brings an interest in people and a certain desire to solve problems and make things better. One trait, perhaps not so obvious, is that of curiosity. We often say in Chaplaincy that a Chaplain always walks towards a problem never away from it. This year’s Annual Report takes a closer look at the role of curiosity in the making of a Chaplain.

I believe the most precious gift an Airport Chaplain has to offer is their time. Time for everyone: staff, passengers, the general public at large. With our high visibility jackets we stand out in the crowd. Personally, I love to meet people and am generally inquisitive and interested in other people: curious. I find it easy, instinctive almost, to approach someone and ask them how they are and enquire after their general welfare. The reward is almost always stimulating as those we engage with share their own stories from all walks of life, backgrounds and faith communities. A large part of curiosity is being observant. Noticing anything that doesn’t look quite right whether that be someone who is distressed, lost or unsure what to do. Curiosity works both ways of course. When speaking to staff, I’m curious what their duties are, curious how long they have worked at the airport and what the highlights (and lowlights) of their day might be.

Chaplain Helen Baly gets us started with an introduction to the definition of curiosity.

When the security staff look at my pass, they often ask what a Chaplain is and what we do. A perfect way to start a conversation.

‘A desire to know: an inquisitive interest in others’ concerns: nosiness’.

Chaplains David, Ameer and Julie pick up the thread...

David Bonny

‘Every day is different, and it is almost impossible to plan your day, as you react to whatever situation confronts you. Prior to being a chaplain, most of my working life has been in engineering, so I particularly enjoy spending time behind the scenes with those who work in what is called the under-wing area.

Here’s an example of how our team works together. One Friday afternoon I got a call from Hershi, our Jewish chaplain. He had been called by a lady in a long queue in passport control. She needed to get to North London before the Sabbath began. I was able to locate her and, with the help of Border Force, escort her quickly to the baggage hall. We immediately found her bag and she was able to get to her home with minutes to spare! Curiosity drives us to see problems through from beginning to end.

On one occasion, I was able to help an anxious lady contact her elderly uncle and get him through passport control. I was deeply touched when she sent an email to say thank you.

“I am thankful that after approaching you in an emergency, you assisted us in our hour of need.”

Chaplains often hear people say: ‘You were in the right place at the right time’.

We would put that down to asking the right questions and responding quickly when the occasion arises.

Ameer Chaudhri

Ameer has worked at the Airport for nearly ten years and is a volunteer Chaplain alongside his regular job.

He says: ‘I am passionate about helping and developing others. Through my role as Chaplain, I am able to help customers and staff through stressful situations which is very fulfilling. I take my faith very seriously so Multi-Faith Chaplaincy was a perfect outlet for serving the airport community in a different way. Having dedicated Chaplains offering pastoral assistance with a smile is something every institution needs!’

Julie King (who joined the team during 2020) ‘Chaplains all have the same heart – to be amongst the airport community, whatever that looks like: whether with those arriving or departing or just getting alongside part of the 24/7 community of staff that keeps the airport running.

One of the memories I have from the short time I was physically in the airport before Lockdown, was helping two young ladies to get home to Yorkshire. It was about being able to help them in their need – getting tickets, pointing them in the right direction for the train and just reassuring them, in their panic that they were alright and were safe.’

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A Day in the Life of a Chaplain

Chaplain Ian Smailes is the ‘elder statesman’ of the Chaplaincy Team – renowned for his legendary knowledge of every nook and cranny of the Airport. Over the past year Ian has had to shield and has greatly missed his regular visits to the airport. Here he dips into his memory and invites us to join him for a day at the airport.

I was chatting in the Heathrow Express station under T4 one morning when the member of staff I was speaking to looked over my shoulder and said, “That’s odd. I have seen that lady several times already this morning.” The person concerned was an elderly lady pulling a case behind her with a look of concern on her face. I said to the member of staff, “I think I should have a word with her”. “Excuse me, can I help you?” She raised her arms, palms upward in a gesture of lack of understanding. As I had done many times before in situations like this, I pulled an old boarding card out of my pocket book and pointed to her handbag, out of which she produced a Romanian passport, but no evidence of

tickets or boarding cards, just a couple of Virgin baggage tags from a flight from New York the previous evening. I surmised, wrongly as it turned out, that she couldn’t understand me because she didn’t speak English. So I indicated that she should follow me, and together we went up into T4 departures and I took her to the desk of the Romanian airline Tarom where I hoped there may be someone who could speak her language.

The Tarom stewardess spoke to the lady in Romanian but it produced exactly the same reaction as before, indicating a complete lack of comprehension. I went through my little pantomime with the boarding card again and pointed to her handbag. This time she produced a screwed-up ball of A4 paper. I flattened it out on the counter and realised that it was most probably instructions for the completion of a landing card with one line in English followed by one in Romanian. Right at the bottom however, in large red letters, was written ‘this lady is deaf and dumb’!

Seeing this, I turned the paper around on the counter and showed it to the stewardess from Tarom, and then said, “Can you write her something in Romanian?” She did, and my passenger’s face lit up with joy with vigorous nods. At last we could communicate

It transpired that she had been travelling from one of her sons in New York to her home where her other son lived in Bucharest. On this occasion it seemed her son had got delayed on the way to JFK and they had missed the booked flight. In the resulting transfer, the onward journey from London to Bucharest had not been changed resulting in my passenger being stranded in London with no means of communication. I took her back to T3 to sort out her onward booking and transfer her baggage.

I then took her to T5 to await her flight, accompanied her to the aircraft and explained her problem to the cabin services director, asking if she would be kind enough to phone her son in Bucharest on

arrival to make sure she met up with him. This she kindly agreed to do. I thought that would be the end of this episode, but it was very lovely to receive a text message from her son the next morning thanking me for all my effort and advising me that his mother had arrived safely. He also said “Gad (he meant God) must have placed me in the right place to help her that day”. It was a very satisfactory end to the situation, especially as so often, when we chaplains help someone, we don’t get to know the final outcome.

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St George’s Chapel

Major Christine Perkins (Chair of the Chapel Committee), shares a snapshot of 2020

The past year has proved to be one of the worst in living memory as we have navigated a global pandemic that continues to ravage the world. For me, there has never been a time when the role of Chaplain is more necessary. On the back of decades of global growth the aviation industry has suffered significant loss on many fronts and a sense of shock and grief has descended upon many aspects of the airport community: staff and passengers alike.

There were many frustrations for Chaplains being (understandably) distanced from the airport for many months in an effort to help reduce the spread of Covid 19. It has been good to maintain contact with key members of airport staff during this time and also to keep connected with fellow Chaplains at Heathrow, and the wider fellowship of UK, European and International airports. The annual conference of IACAC (the International Association of Civil Aviation Chaplains) took place virtually in October 2020. One of the speakers was psychologist and therapist Kathy Malcolm Hall. Kathy identified the emotion “Hiraeth”, a Gaelic word for Homesickness – a yearning for a returning to life as it was, a feeling experienced by many across the world undergoing grief for the loss of a world that was. She spoke of the importance of Chaplains being able to recognise Hiraeth so as to be able to accompany others on their journey.

Kathy explained that these types of feelings and emotions are best worked through in a “Diad” – when someone is available to listen to us and to navigate the journey alongside us. This of course is the role of the Chaplain.

The youth poet Laureate, Amanda Gormon, at the US presidential inauguration, said…” We will rebuild, reconcile and recover… the new dawn blooms as we free it; for there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it, if only we’re brave enough to be it” At a time when much of aviation is grounded, we feel confident that there are brighter skies ahead. We may not return to life as it was and we may need to navigate an alternative route.

The chaplaincy at Heathrow will have a significant role to play in the coming days – to show the light, to lead the way and to be a companion to many on the journey – but the challenge is also for Chaplains to BE the light – through word and deed and by example.

Jesus said, I am the Light of the World (John 8:12), but He also said, YOU are the Light of the World, …let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven (Matt 5:14).

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FAREWELLS

Revd Howie Adan

Head of Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy 2016-2020

As I write, at my kitchen table in Amsterdam, my 2020 diary is at my elbow and I see that exactly a year ago life at Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy was in full swing. Among other things, this week brought me a team meeting at T2 (guest speaker: James Davies of Heathrow Travel Care), ‘one-to-one’ meetings with individual Chaplains as part of their annual review, an outing to visit former Chaplain Sister Margaret Byrnes, an airfield tour with Nick Clifton-Welker as our guide, and planning for visits to the Brent Sikh Centre, Ealing Synagogue, and Friday prayers at D’Albiac House.

How things have changed! Beginning mid-March 2020 the global air transport industry tilted dramatically into the most far-reaching crisis in its history. Chaplaincy too - our own but also that of every other international airport - has had to adapt on the fly: budgets cut, personnel lost, networks disrupted, prayer rooms closed, and conferences cancelled. We have quickly had to learn to operate in a changed environment.

One thing we can be thankful for is that throughout all the changes Heathrow Airport Ltd has continued to affirm the work of Chaplaincy on the airport. Where some colleagues in other corners of the globe have discovered that their relationship with the airport authority is a fair weather one, we have continued to enjoy the good graces and support of Heathrow.

I started in airport chaplaincy in 1999, doing a placement at Schiphol in Amsterdam (AMS). I continued as a weekly volunteer and four years later was taken on as the first full-time Anglican Chaplain at the same airport. Since then I have served at Vancouver International (YVR), Nanaimo (YCD), and Heathrow (LHR). I did a stint as Vice President of the International Association of Civil Aviation Chaplains, attending more than half a dozen IACAC conferences as well as many regional conferences. Along the way I have met literally hundreds of airport chaplains, most of whom are doing sterling work. What makes a great Chaplain? Simply put, two things: curiosity, and a pursuit of competence. Chaplains who committed to asking questions, networking, listening, learning, and improving their skills will always deliver good work.

On March 12 I made my regular weekly return journey to Amsterdam, not knowing that it would be my last LHR-AMS flight. At the end of October my time as Head of Multi Faith Chaplaincy was up and - apart from my continued membership of IACAC - I stepped completely away from airport chaplaincy for the first time in over 20 years. I miss it already.

Revd Fr. Daniel Adayi, CSSp. PhD.

Lead Chaplain (RC) 2018-2021

The chilly wind hit hard against my face as I made my way to the tube station. I always used Hounslow Central Station, an eight-minute walk from where I resided. I pulled my hat down to shield my ears from the blast of wind as I stepped across the gates onto the train platform. Over the months, the third coach from the front became my favourite because it enabled me to disembark just at the foot of the escalator at Heathrow Terminals 1, 2 & 3, from where I walked the five minutes to St George’s Chapel. As the train left the station, my mind began a trip through my time as a Chaplain at Heathrow. Most of my daily activities were at the Chapel of St George. Over the years, both staff and travellers have developed a broad spectrum of relationships with the Chapel, ranging from one-off visits during a trip, repeated visits, to some deep and emotional connections.

The Roman Catholic community met for Holy Mass in the Chapel four times a week before the pandemic. It was a delight to see staff and passengers as they made their way to the underground place of prayer. The joyful looks on their faces as they departed after the communal worship always made my day. I was exceedingly glad to be a part of their faith journey.

However, it was very different that morning as I went into the Chapel and prayed for a while in the eerily quiet sanctuary. In my prayer, I blessed God for the Chapel at Heathrow, the people that gathered regularly there, those I met in the course of my duty and for the Multifaith Chaplaincy team. Shortly, I began to put my notes together for my successor. My role as a Chaplain at Heathrow will remain in my mind for a long time!

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Introducing our newest Trustee

The Venerable Catherine Pickford Archdeacon of Northolt

I am delighted to have this opportunity to introduce myself to you as the relatively new Archdeacon of Northolt, and very new trustee of Heathrow’s Multi-Faith Chaplaincy. Just over 6 months ago, my family and I moved 300 miles south from Northumberland, where I served as a country vicar and held responsibility for clergy training. The contrast was huge. We swapped fields of cows and sheep for views of Wembley Stadium. I swapped a village of 2000 people for an Archdeaconry of 4 Boroughs, one of which includes Heathrow. Despite all the contrasts, it has been interesting to see what has been the same. The way in which communities have pulled together during the pandemic is very similar in country and city. People know their neighbours more than before, are more willing to help each other and support each other. The things that people miss are the same too, family and friends, freedom of movement, the chance to meet other face-to-face.

I have not always been a country vicar. Before that I served in inner city Newcastle for 11 years where I was the vicar of a busy urban church which had a foodbank, a youth project, and two community projects in the parish. There, I also served as a police chaplain in a voluntary capacity. The parish of Benwell where I was vicar was the same area served by the police station I worked with and it was interesting to see the same place from the two different angles. I particularly enjoyed being alongside the community police officers who spent most of their time on foot, building up relationships and making connections.

It was powerful to see the way in which these connections would bear fruit and communities would become gradually more willing to work with the police, as people they knew and trusted.

Airport chaplaincy is completely new to me. There is much to be curious about in an airport, with the constantly changing environment and the sheer volume of people who (in normal times) pass through every day. One of my reflections from Police Chaplaincy was that you really didn’t know what was going to happen when you went out on a shift, because the agenda was in the hands of others. It isn’t everyone who is able to cope with such high levels of flexibility and uncertainty: to fit in with the needs and priorities of others, to be present without an agenda.

Curiosity plays a big part in chaplaincy because you are often in the position of seeking to walk in someone else’s shoes, see the world from their point of view, understand how life might be for them. As a trustee of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy, I am looking forward to finding out more about the airport, its structures, its staff, and its travellers. I am looking forward to visiting, when that is possible again, to see your context and observe the way in which chaplaincy works as part of the life of Heathrow. Most of all, I am curious to hear some of the stories of airport chaplaincy, its challenges, its joys, and its surprises.

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Finance & Accounts

A Report from the Treasurer, Adrian Dean Heathrow Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Treasurer’s Report Year End 2020

1. The year in summary

a. The highlight of the year was the agreement in principle to the budget proposed by the charity to HAL.

b. The charity received a donation from HAL of £5000.

This was paid as an advance to the donations by HAL to cover the budget for 2021.

c. As at the year end the bank balances were as follows:

i. Capital Account £7142.37

ii. Current Account £8010.00

2. Starting in 2021 the Chaplaincy will be developing its own revenue streams and expenses management. At this point, the only promise of financial support is from HAL. It is important that the charity looks for other sources of income.

3. During the year 2020, a single expense was paid of £150.00 for a chaplain’s expenses.

4. A service agreement has been reached by the charity and a chaplain for interim head of chaplaincy support for 2021. The first payment against this agreement was made in 2021. The Agreement can be terminated with 2 months’ notice by either party.

5. Accounting Policy

a. The Accounting policy is based on the payments and receipts method of accounting. Most small charities (those below a turnover of £250,000 per year) use this method.

b. It is considered prudent to adopt an accounting completion date of 15th March each year. This means that the AGM date should not be set before this date.

• c. It is agreed that an External Examiner is not yet appropriate for the charity.

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Chaplains 2020

HINDU Ramesh Sharma

BUDDHIST Robert MacPhail

CHRISTIAN JEWISH Daniel Adayi / to Jan 2021 Hershi Vogel Susan Badua Zelda Vogel Helen Baly Paul Barker MUSLIM

Nasreen Ali / to Oct 2020 Ameer Chaudhri Abdul Jabbar / to Oct 2020

David Bonny Judi Buckeridge

Steve Buckeridge (Interim Head of HMFC)

SIKH Adele Burgess Devraj Saberwal Hertiberto De Melo Amrik Singh Peter Dusek

Elsie Fraser Fiona Fernandes Julie King / from Sept 2020

Robert Levett Shaun Loader John Mackerness John Parry / to Jan 2021 Christine Perkins Stephen Perkins Elisa Rivera Tessa Rust Ian Smailes

Trustees 2020

Bogoda Seelawimala Hany Abdelmasih / Baptist Marion McNeil / URC John Penty / Roman Catholic Catherine Pickford / Anglican (from Oct 2020) Mark Poulson / Anglican (Chair)

BUDDHIST

CHRISTIAN

HINDU Umesh Sharma JEWISH Stephen Hirst MUSLIM Asgar Halim Rajput SIKH Narinder Singh Mudhar TREASURER Adrian Dean Ex Officio: HAL Kathryn Leahy Elizabeth Hegarty HMFC* Steve Buckeridge (Interim Head)

*Heathrow Airport Limited

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Contact [e-mail] 020 8745 4261