AT the October meeting, member Jean Baugh talked of her work as lay chaplain at Warwick Hospital.

She explained how she is a member of lay chaplains trained and licenced to visit patients in the hospital to give communion, if so desired, or purely to visit and give comfort and support at what could be a stressful time, not only for patients but also relatives and friends.

Jean described the chapel in Warwick Hospital, built by public subscription and open for patients, relatives, friends and hospital staff of all religions to visit. She showed us beautifully embroidered vestments worn by the clergy at regular services held there.

The chaplaincy team cover all wards in the hospital, visiting regularly on particular days of the week but members are on call at all times and available to patients when needed.

Jean's particular responsibility is the children's ward which, being a retired teacher, she enjoys, especially the babies, and for the patients in Charlotte Ward, where her husband received treatment.

The lay chaplains are able to compliment the very caring and expert nursing of the hospital staff with a friendly chat, time to listen, a sympathetic ear or spiritual help for those who want it.

Marian Buchanan thanked Jean for her interesting and enlightening talk and president Jan Heeley closed the meeting by reminding members that the next meeting is on November 9, with speaker the Rev Russen Thomas.