It's a sad sign of the times when, though there have never been so many of us living into old age, a charity which has done so much to promote later life well-being must close its doors.
We say a fond, heartfelt, farewell to Faith in Older People (FiOP), based in Edinburgh, with whom Anna Chaplaincy has collaborated on a number of occasions. Some of you will remember our joint webinars to promote interest in Anna Chaplaincy in Scotland.
'I remember first meeting Maureen O'Neill' writes Debbie Thrower, 'when we travelled to Edinburgh for MHA's (Methodist Homes) conference in the city in 2016 in which Maureen was heavily involved. It was my first opportunity to spell out to her and others there what the Anna Chaplaincy model involved and how well it could work north of the border.'
'It was a few years later that our first Anna Chaplain in Scotland was commissioned, in the Scottish Borders, and now there are several more. Though we would still like to see much more uptake, of course, in Scotland as the need is so great. Maureen has become a great ally for us and a true friend.'
For the past seventeen years now, Maureen has been a tireless supporter of older people. Announcing the move to close FiOP she wrote: 'We hope our work over the past years will leave a positive legacy, and we are so appreciative of the contribution of those individuals and organisations with which we have collaborated over the years. We still feel there is much to be achieved and hope that there will be other avenues to continue the work.' We certainly hope so too. So watch this space.
An enduring aspect of FiOP's work has been the role the charity played in the Scottish government's Spiritual Care Framework, published in 2023. FiOP has also been completing a project 'Embedding Social Care in the Curriculum', in partnership with St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, on the Sanctuary Mental Health course.
We owe a great debt to Maureen personally for taking up the cause of Anna Chaplaincy; enrolling on our own training course to ensure she knew what it involved inside out, as well as advocating for BRF's Spiritual Care Series course. We would like to see the off-the shelf course being taken up by even more churches across the UK to better equip pastoral visitors to understand the spirituality of older age. The course has helped many to appreciate their own ageing process more and realise their changing needs as life progresses.
Ministry Lead, Debbie Ducille, says:
'It has been a pleasure and privilege to collaborate with FiOP, and we are thankful for Maureen’s expertise, enthusiasm and tireless efforts to promote Anna Chaplaincy through her wide-ranging networks.’
There is no doubt that Maureen and her dedicated team at FiOP have benefited the lives of many in older age. FiOP has contributed to the national debate about the spirituality of the third and fourth ages of life - not least through the annual Malcolm Goldsmith lectures, which attracted eminent speakers in recent years, such as palliative care specialist Dr Kathryn Mannix, the writer the Rt Rev Richard Holloway and Dr Donald Macaskill, Chief Executive Officer, Scottish Care.
We wish Maureen and her colleagues all the very best for the future and to celebrate the work and achievements of Faith in Older People over the past 17 years, Choral Evensong will take place at St Mary’s Episcopal Cathedral, Palmerston Place, Edinburgh on Thursday 20th February 2025, at 5.30pm. If you would be interested in attending this service, please contact FiOP’s administrator by email: info@fiop.org.uk
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