RETAIL & CENTRES

Welcome to the page covering chaplaincy at retail premises and in town and city centres.

Until a few years ago retail chaplaincy was mainly centred on the big supermarkets, with Asda and Tesco being prominent there. There are chaplains in many local supermarket stores.

Then the Westfield Centre was built in the centre of Derby, changing much of the retail scene, with other surrounding areas being affected, as well as fundamentally altering the economics of the City Centre such as land and building prices, and the environment of the City Centre such as extra traffic and altered accessibility. Chaplains have been part of the centre since its opening. Click Westfield chaplaincy to see how developments have progressed there.

More recently, the concept of City/Town centre mission/chaplaincy has been under consideration in Derby and Swadlincote. In Derby there is a group dedicated to working on this project, involving people from the various worshipping Churches nearby. More news on this project soon.

In Swadlincote the town centre chaplaincy is up and running. There is a feature item describing their work and progress, showing pictures of the shop and people. The launch event took place at the end of May. Click Swadlincote chaplaincy to learn more of what is happening and how to contact them and where they are located.

Rev'd Paul Morris, Vicar of St Peter's, Derby, is co-ordinating chaplaincy for the City centre.

The Der

by City Centre chaplaincy, headed up by Rev'd Paul Morris, Vicar of St Peter's in the centre, is continuing to grow and expand.

So much so, that it has resulted in Ministry developments for himself and for one of the chaplains and for the Church. Paul will tell you in his own words:

As you know, the Derby City Centre Chaplaincy officially began in February, but it is growing and in order to oversee further development, I need to give more time to this ministry. Therefore, it has been agreed that my colleague, Anita Matthews, who lives in Derby and works for CMS in Oxford, will leave CMS and serve full-time at St. Peter's.

It would be great if some members of the Workplace Chaplaincy in Derbyshire were able to come to this Licensing Service on January 9th. The service will be in St. Peter's and the BookCafe, which is where all the chaplains have met with me prior to their appointment!

This idea of the service taking place both in and outside of the church is something that John and I discussed even before Derby City Centre Chaplaincy was up and running, so I am delighted it is happening!

Note - the above picture has been added to Paul's message. it was taken at the City Centre launch in February 2011, and, yes........Rev'd Anita Matthews is one of 3 chaplains shown here!

'Sunday Night Live' is now going live at Westfield Costa Coffee! It is a Music/arts concert and takes

place on the first Sunday of the month from 7:30pm to 9:00pm.

A recent concert featured Ben Ford's popular acoustic covers in the first half, followed by Kurusu who "get their influences from bands such as Incubus, The Chillies, Mutemath and Neil Sedaka and are destined to be very entertaining!"

In the left picture, the Westfield chaplains, (Tony Barson, seated front left, and Rev'd Derek Beech behind) are in evidence to support the event.

The venue opens at 6:30pm for coffee and free cake - so don't miss next month's!

"Westfield still welcomes shoppers and I still wander chatting and praying with people as opportunities arise, The west field worship still continues although I have not been involved since Christmas (busy with India)"

George Seabury, who served the Westfield centre from its inception, has now moved from the Derby area, In January Tony Barson was appointed as chaplain there, and 6 months later was joined by Rev'd Derek Beech.

The Westfield centre leaflet has been updated to include information about the chaplains. The leaflet can be read by clicking the following link: