University Chaplaincy

When student Ekin Gao was seriously injured in an unprovoked attack, the first people he went to were the university chaplains. Not only did they help him explain what happened to the police, but they organised counselling for him as well as other practical and spiritual support. The 25-year-old civil engineering student was thankful he knew about the chaplains ­ he’d only met one for the first time two days beforehand. Many students of all faiths or no faith come to the chaplains to ask for help. Sometimes it’s a problem with money or finance; at other times, it can be bereavement, relationships or their studies that are causing distress. Some have serious mental health issues and can’t cope with university life. More mature students may be trying to juggle jobs, study and child care. The team are happy to be listening ears for staff or students at these times.

The new Anglican chaplain, the Rev Peter Jones, has joined a team that includes Free Church chaplain the Rev Bill Matthews and Roman Catholic chaplain Sister Marguerite Wong. They are helped by associate chaplains the Rev Peter Morgan, a Baptist, and Jo King, from Revelation Church. As well as advice and support, they also run Emmaus, Lent and Advent courses, and services to mark Christmas, Remembrance Day and the start of the academic year. The university’s Christmas carol service alternates between the RC and C of E cathedrals, while their welcome service takes place in St George’s, Portsea. Although there is no university chapel, they do have offices and a meeting room with a prayer corner in the Nuffield Centre.

Bill, who was a naval chaplain for 10 years before joining the university team in 2001, said: “The exciting thing is that because we are based here, we can network with finance, health, careers, disability, international and other student services that are in the same building. Lots of other universities wouldn’t have facilities that are as good as this.” And Marguerite said: “Although we do deal with students and staff via e-mail and phone, ideally we spend a lot of time on ‘walkabout’, seeing people and being available. We advertise ourselves with posters, bookmarks and website, so people know our faces. We also get involved in student induction and Freshers’ Fair. “With widening participation in universities, we are seeing increasing numbers of people coming with deep, personal mental health problems, perhaps stemming from their childhood. “There are also many more international students ­ half of them in Portsmouth are from mainland China. Quite a few are interested in religion, but they are also incredibly vulnerable, having come from a country where religion is repressed.”

Chaplains are on 24-hour call, virtually every day of the year, for emergencies such as the death of a student, meningitis outbreaks or accidents. They also run a student hardship fund for those who are destitute, and provide advice and support to those of other faiths. “We are all Christians, so, wherever possible, we work with other faith leaders in the city to help those of other faiths,” said Bill. “It was very interesting that it was one of the Shi’ite Muslim students who came to us after 9/11 to say she wanted to get people of all faiths together to pray.”

The Anglican chaplain is paid for by the university, but the funding for the two other main chaplains comes from their own denominations. “We are here by the invitation of the university,” said Marguerite. “We are integral to university life, but only because of the hard work of those who have sown the seeds over the past 10 years. We are not here to proselytise. We are here for everybody.”

Contact the University of Portsmouth chaplaincy on 023-9284 3157 or peter.jones@port.ac.uk.