Medway Campus Chaplain
Further Particulars
About the Diocese of Rochester:
The Diocese of Rochester was established in 604. It includes the west part of Kent (from Thames Estuary to Sussex border), the Medway Unitary Authority and the two London Boroughs of Bromley and Bexley. It thus includes urban, rural and suburban communities, areas of significant ethnic and religious diversity, and very considerable contrasts of affluence and poverty. The diocese has a total population of 1.3 million with just under 20% living in the Medway Towns.
The Medway towns are a priority area for mission and church renewal for the Diocese of Rochester. Within Medway are both some of our strongest and weakest churches, increasing affluence and increasing poverty. The disparity between these is growing, and the opportunities for renewal are present and pressing. The Diocese, as part of its approach to mission in Medway is currently seriously exploring the reopening of St Johns church (a redundant Waterloo church) as a church and a centre of mission for Medway. One of the factors behind this work is the changing demography of Chatham town centre, the significant increase in the younger demographic, and within that the growing student population at the Medway Campuses. Chatham town centre currently does very little to encourage students to use it, an example of this is that there are no NUS offers, something thriving student towns normally offer. In creating the project to remission Chatham town centre the Diocese is focusing on a key population area, which directly links to the work of the Chaplaincy. In committing resources to both the Chatham town centre and the Chaplaincy, the Diocese is recognising the join up between the two and significantly raising its contribution to the regeneration of Chatham.
About Canterbury Christ Church University CCCU:
Founded by the Church of England in 1962, the University has enjoyed substantial growth in student numbers over recent years and hasdeveloped into a broad based University offering some 17,500 students a wide range of programmes. Just under 2,000 of these are based at Medway. It is the Vice-Chancellor’s intention to create an environment where the University is an inspiring place to work, where every individual feels able to contribute towards the wider educational and societal mission of the University so that higher education has the potential to transform the lives of individuals and communities. In this way the University can remain true to its Church Foundation identity.
The campus has excellent teaching facilities for undergraduate and postgraduate students. This includes specialist-training areas for students studying career, counselling, professional development and education programmes. Our university has a long history of preparing students to become teachers and has an excellent reputation within this profession. For students undertaking health programmes the campus houses a Simulation Suite which incorporates two hospital wards, an operating theatre, surgical skills room, scrub area, radiography department, occupational therapy unit, midwifery and child unit and resource areas for paramedic students. The campus is also home to the Stem Cell Research and Advanced Bioengineering Lab, which supports innovative research undertaken by our surgeons and scientists.
Canterbury Christ Church University has a wide-ranging portfolio of research at undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral level. Its aim is to contribute and make a difference to local, national and international populations. This is achieved through our many collaborations, which include our partner universities at this campus.
About the University of Greenwich:
The Medway campus of Greenwich University houses the Faculty of Engineering and Science. The whole of the campus was known as HMS Pembroke; was designed by Pilkington and built in splendid Edwardian redbrick dating from 1903.The University of Greenwich moved their engineering programmes to the campus in 1996, to join the National Resource Institute, which occupied the whole of upper Pembroke.
Since 1996, the university has invested over £50 million pounds in developing extensive new laboratories, research facilities and services. The university has linked with other educational establishments to develop the campus as a major higher education centre in the Medway region, known collectively as the Universities at Medway. The Faculty of Engineering and Science hosts significant research activity. It has over 250 MPhil/PhD students and generates research income in excess of £10 million per year. In addition, there are a number of health programmes delivered on campus; these include, BSc Nursing, BSc Paramedic Science and PGDip Speech and Language Therapy.
The National Resources Institute won the 2014 Times Higher Education award for International Collaboration of the Year project, which in partnership with more than 200 organisations in Africa, has transformed the livelihoods of tens of thousands of smallholder farming families. Their work on Cassava and Tsetse fly has truly transformed the lives of people living in Africa.
About the University of Kent:
The University of Kent is one of the country’s leading academic institutions producing world-class research, rated internationally excellent and leading the way in many fields of study. Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015, it has nearly 20,000 students studying at Canterbury, Medway, Athens, Brussels, Paris and Tonbridge.
The University has invested millions of pounds in purpose-built facilities. The campus includes buildings equipped for a range of teaching specialities, including exercise suites and a private treatment clinic for the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences and an industry-standard multimedia newsroom for the Centre for Journalism.
The University also has prominent buildings at The Historic Dockyard, Chatham. These include the Smitheries, the Galvanising Shop and the Boiler House Workshop, which house specialist facilities for fine art and music; new studio spaces and a fully renovated, split-level design studio; a multi-purpose workshop, equipped with sophisticated lighting and sound equipment; and an Engineering Workshop, which contains a darkroom, a digital darkroom and a digital print facility studio space.New facilities for Kent Business School opened in September 2015.
Universities at Medway:
The universities share several buildings on campus, namely Pilkington where the multi faith space is located. The £10 million Drill Hall Library hosts extensive book and journal collections, as well as around 400 personal computers, plus netbooks and laptops, for student use.
The new student social space, the Student Hub is duefor completion in September 2016.
About St Mark’s Gillingham:
The Medway Campus for the Universities sits within the parish of St Mark’s. The Parish has two churches, St Mark’s situated on the high street in Gillinghamtown centre. It isa lively evangelical anglican church with a rich tradition and a community focus.
St Mary’s IslandChurch is a daughter church that is based in the school on the Island, reaching out to the new community developing around it.
The Parish is led by Rev Saju Muthalaly and on the staff team is Lynne Martin, their part time Students and Internationals Coordinator, who also serves as part time Associate Chaplain to the University of Greenwich Medway Campus. The Parish is committed to authentically demonstrating the love of Christ by both working with and serving the community.
Medway Campus/Region
Medway is a bustling area with lots of things to see and do; there are outstanding sports facilities, exciting arts programmes and buildings of historic significance. The Chatham Maritime area has received a huge investment in recent years and includes a multiplex cinema, a large retail outlet and a number of bars and restaurants, all within walking distance of the main campus.
Culture and leisure
The campus is five minutes’ walk from a multiplex cinema and there are two theatres in Chatham that offer the very best in comedy, art, drama and music. Medway is a prime location and regularly attracts big names to its venues. The Brook Theatre is home to the Medway Comedy Club, where you can spend an evening with some of the best comics on the UK circuit.
Each year, there are a number of fairs and festivals, such as the Fuse and River Festivals. There is also the annual Armed Forces Day and the Sweeps Festival in Rochester. There are also Christmas markets and the annual bonfire and fireworks night on the Great Lines Heritage Park.
Music lovers can attend the Castle Concerts in Rochester Castle or catch a band at the Central Theatre. There is also a lively music scene on Medway's pub and club circuit and in nearby Maidstone too.
For the thrill-seekers, Medway is home to aski slope and toboggan run, go karting Park and an indoor ice skating rink. Those who enjoy nature, walking and cycling will enjoy the local country parks in Gillingham, Capstone and Shorne. Medway also has a superb range of indoor and outdoor sporting venues at Medway Park and Strand Leisure Park. Medway Sailing at Chatham Maritime Marina provides an eco-friendly sailing experience along the River Medway.
The campus boasts a mix of social and leisure facilities, including a restaurant in Pembroke Building and the Venue café in Pilkington. Sports facilities include a sports hall, a gym with cardiovascular and weights rooms and outdoor tennis courts. The Student Hub will open in September 2014.
History
Rochester Castle was one of the first large stone keeps built by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest, while Rochester Cathedral is more than 1,400 years old, the second oldest cathedral in the United Kingdom. King John came to capture Rochester Castle from the rebels in 1215 and Henry VIII met his fourth wife Anne of Cleves in the cloisters of Rochester cathedral.
Medway also has a long and distinguished naval history. The first ship built at Chatham Dockyard took part in the defeat of the Armada; Lord Horatio Nelson joined his first ship at Chatham; and his famous flagship, The Victory, was built here. The Dutch Raid on the River Medway was documented in graphic detail in the diaries of Samuel Pepys in 1667.
One of Medway’s most famous inhabitants was Charles Dickens, who lived in Chatham as a child, and later at Gadshill Place in Rochester for 14 years until his death. The Medway region also features in many Dickens novels and every year the Dickens Festival celebrates his legacy.
Transport links
Medway has excellent road and rail links. A new high speed rail service is available from London St Pancras to Ebbsfleet International with a journey time of approximately 20 minutes. From Ebbsfleet you can catch a connecting train to Chatham which takes approximately 20 minutes.