Leader, Leith Churches Outreach Project
and Chaplain @ Ocean Terminal
Jennifer grew up in Stirling, and most of her ‘pre-Leith’ life was in education, both in Britain and overseas (Finland, Jordan, France and Indonesia). From 1992 to 2018, she lived and worked in York, where – amongst many other things! – she was involved with her church youth group as well as studying for a part-time MA in Theology and Religious Studies, before deciding it was time to kick the traces over and look for a new challenge – apart from those posed by toiling up Scottish, Welsh and English mountains!
Jennifer is a Trustee of Mission to Seafarers Scotland and as part of her ecumenical work in Leith, she has run joint Lent groups and the 6-week Mission Shaped Intro course. From 2018 to 2022, she was secretary of Leith Churches Together.
‘Despite being new to Leith, I felt at home very quickly, not least because there is still a remarkable sense of community here. There are so many groups, church based and otherwise – you are never short of something to do, daytime or evening! It was fascinating to learn more about the seafaring community in particular, and the work done by the Scottish port chaplains. In my chaplaincy work in Ocean Terminal, I’ve found a strong sense of community among staff and a wonderful variety of people, who work extremely hard, 364 days in the year! The last few years have not been easy for retailers anywhere and I hope that better times are coming.
As my work has developed over the last years, it’s had several strands, eg.
– in my role as Chaplain, to provide support and a confidential listening ear to staff and visitors as the workplace chaplain, available to those of any faith or none
– to enable an inclusive faith presence where appropriate, eg. through such events as our Pause for Peace and Pause for Remembrance services over the last years. These provide opportunities for joint reflection for many who are not without faith, but do not feel drawn to attend traditional churches
– to strengthen churches’ links with the community, eg. by working with community groups, schools or charities, or running events in Ocean Terminal such as our Seafarers’ Parcel Wrap or children’s events.
The advent of the Community Space in Ocean Terminal in 2021 gave many groups the chance to do things there – it’s a great asset to Leith.’
Jennifer is available on a regular basis in Ocean Terminal on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, and other times where possible. She is based at South Leith Parish Church Halls on Henderson Street, and can be contacted through the Ocean Terminal Reception; by phone (0131 554 2578) or email outreach@leithchurchestogether.org.uk Click here to see a poster. Chaplaincy poster 2022
