The new chaplain at East Cheshire Hospice is no stranger to the charity.
Reverend Dr Marion Tugwood was a regular visitor to the Hospice in her role as minister at Macclesfield United Reformed Church.
Marion spent 10 years with the church and often provided pastoral care for patients at end-of-life and their loved ones.
Her first official duty in her new role was the Light Up a Life service at St Michael and All Angels Church in December.
She said: “The service took place two days after I started so I was thrown in at the deep end, but it went well and people seemed to value the time to reflect on the life of their loved one. The church was full for this moving occasion.
Reverend Dr Marion Tugwood, the new chaplain at East Cheshire Hospice.
“My brief is to look after the whole Hospice, so I’m here for volunteers, staff as well as obviously patients and their relatives.”
From 2018, Marion held a wider role assisting 12 churches, including Macclesfield, as part of a Missional Partnership for the United Reformed Church.
She said: “The role involved training and equipping churches to be more self-sufficient without relying on a single minister.
“It was about building skills and increasing people’s ability to evangelise and to work with their own communities.”
“My chaplaincy work is similar to what I did before as I’m using my worship leading skills. But in other ways it’s different as there is greater emphasis on pastoral care.
“I’m getting to know families, patient and staff and am delighted to be part of a charity which is so highly regarded in east Cheshire and beyond.”
“The atmosphere here is calm and peaceful. People aren’t rushed in the way they are in some other care settings.”
For the last seven years Marion has helped run 15th Macclesfield Sea Scouts Group.
She was a founder of the Street Angels project in Macclesfield, a church initiative set up 12 years ago.
She said: “The job of Street Angels is to bring calm. We’re out on Saturdays between 10.30 pm and 3 am and pick up people who’ve fallen over. We also give out flip flops and bottles of water to people who may be the worse for wear.
“We’re not the police and not the council and just hang out and interact with people enjoying themselves and having a good time.”
To find out more about chaplaincy and view upcoming services, events and news, please go to www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/spiritual-support.
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