Over the winter, we have increased the frequency and duration of our contacts with people living on their own, responding to their increased need for chats, prayer, and laughter. We expect this need and our response will continue until most local people have had their two vaccinations.

Meanwhile, we were very blessed to be able to continue our open air services well into autumn, sometimes despite the weather, and visit some householders in their gardens, all of course responsibly socially distanced.

And once the cold weather arrived, we used the phone, Zoom, and even good old-fashioned letter writing to keep in touch with 191 people.  In fact, in 2020 we managed to contact people a total of 1203 times – despite the various Lockdowns and Tier restrictions throughout the year.  We also sent 510 letters or cards, many of us recovering old or rusty skills as correspondents. These letters are a vital lifeline to many Care Home residents who are unable to use modern technological media, or who dislike phones or do not even have access to them.

David Cooke
Coordinator
Contact David: chichester.anna.chaplaincy@gmail.com