ASHORE AFLOAT Summer 2020 Serving the naval family since 1876 Aggie’s in Lock Down Whether it was setting up a home from home for sailors, providing an alternative to the pub or pursuing a banking system that meant a sailors pay got home to the family Aggie was all about surveying the environment at the time and adjusting to help the people she cared about. During recent months our charity has tried to follow the same principle as we have adapted to the new ways of working. For an organisation that is founded on the principle of our Pastoral Workers being available to simply listen and support, not being able to meet face to face has certainly posed a challenge. However we are pleased that, despite the pandemic, we continue to be able to reach out to our Naval community (which from April this year includes the Royal Fleet Auxiliary – see page 10) and provide that listening ear, as well as events and activities that have helped to offer a distraction during the period in lockdown. Aggie’s staff Zoom Gathering At the end of March, all 32 of our Pastoral Workers around HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH, HMS NORTUMBERLAND and RFA Tideforce ©UK MOD Crown Copyright the UK were unable to go into their respective workplaces as establishment’s restricted access and community centres were closed in line with Government advice. With the Aggie’s executive team and many of the PW’s working from home, Dame Agnes Weston’s Royal Charity for the Naval Service Patrons Aggie’s staff have been able to utilise a variety of different Generally known as Aggie’s Her Majesty the Queen platforms and approaches in order to support one another Ministry of Defence and reach out to our naval family. Company No. 11114651 • Charity No. 1176596 Chairman Of Trustees As a team we have been able to meet together online Contact Us Cdre Bob Fancy RN (Retired) regularly via the Zoom platform to encourage one another, Aggie Weston’s share ideas and pray. Normally we are only able to get the Castaway House, 311 Twyford Avenue, Portsmouth PO2 8RN Chief Executive Officer whole Aggie’s team together once a year at our conference Chris New, OBE, FCIPD (which has been cancelled for 2020) however with our T 023 9265 0505 E [email protected] on-line gatherings we have been able to draw the team Editor together from all over the UK and get to know one another www.aggies.org.uk John Bazley better; it is certainly something that we intend to continue Cover Photo for the future. Aggie_Westons aggiewestons Cover Aggie’s Staff Meeting taking place on ZOOM. Aggie’s Finance Director Nicki Torrance, working from home with help from Lorelai Crown Copyright Images are reproduced in this document under the Open Government License which can be accessed at: http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ 2 3 Aggie’s in Lock Down continued Carried out over 160 events online via ZOOM. Events included: The period from the 23rd March until the end of June has given our PW’s the Coffee Mornings “Crafterzoom” Sewing Group opportunity to support and get alongside people in ways that we would never Quiz Night Book club for adult s TaskMaster envisaged 6 months ago. Here are a selection of the things we have been doing Great Aggie’s Bake O ff Painting classes “Den Building” to show that Aggie’s cares: Provided 1580 telephone calls to Conducted 176 story-time readings As the lockdown restrictions have Although not able to go onto service personnel in isolation or who on-line which were accessed over 2,000 eased it has been possible for some establishments the recruits at HMS simply want to talk to somebody times – and continue to be! Many of the PW’s to visit families in their gardens Raleigh have still been able to catch stories have been linked to activities that and carry out socially distanced pastoral up with the Aggie’s PW’s during their families can complete at home with pre conversations – even in the rain!! training on Dartmoor. Carried out over 100 Storybook Waves supplied resources. recordings – we got round the problem of having to carry out recording face to face by introducing a process where Conducted a National, all ages, SBW recording can be completed by colouring competition via Facebook an individual remotely (on their SMART phone) before being sent to their family with a copy of the book. Distributed over 250 sunflower Initiated a National, on-line, support seeds in 4 locations for local group for Royal Navy families with growing competitions children with Special Educational Needs 4 5 Aggie’s People With the Royal Sailor’s Rests all now closed Aggie’s assets are the people who run and support the charity and help to ensure that we meet the needs of those we seek to benefit. Over the next few pages, some of those who work within Aggie’s, and our link chaplain in the Naval Chaplaincy Service, provide an insight into their calling. Aggie’s Chief Executive, Chris New Aggie Weston had a saying – “Do ye the next thing” – Royal Fleet Auxiliary. We do this by by which she meant that we should focus on one task, see making a difference to the lives of it develop, and then look for the next opportunity. I do not Service Personnel and their families. claim to have applied this to my own life, but I do think it In doing so, we demonstrate the has been a principle which has guided my career without my love of God. even knowing it. Let me explain. The second is that Aggie’s In September 2019 I retired from the Royal Navy after 35 is part of a larger team which years’ service as a Marine Engineer Officer. Much of my career includes the Naval Chaplaincy followed traditional paths, a mix of sea -going appointments, Service (our principle partner), RM Arbroath Pastoral Worker Seonid Cunningham procuring new ships, providing engineering support to both the Naval Service Family and Royal Navy and the Royal Marines, training, research, and Head People Support, and several My name is Seonid Cunningham (pronounced Shona for those becoming a secondary school RME teacher would allow me Quarters policy roles. naval charities. The more we not familiar with Gaelic!) I have been working with Aggie’s at to continue to explore faiths, and perhaps spark the same collaborate, the more effective 45 Commando in Arbroath for nearly 4 years. My journey to interest in my students. I applied and was accepted to study My final assignment, Head of Diversity and Inclusion Policy, joining the Aggie’s team was not straightforward, or indeed a post-grad teaching diploma at Glasgow University. For my we will be. Finally, when Chris and his wife Caroline was something of a departure from the mainstream and people with a wide variety one that I had planned, but it is one that I have never regretted! probationary teaching year, I was sent to teach on the Isle of took me into the heart of personnel management in the HQ. of skills are treated well, Lewis, which was a bit of a culture shock but allowed me to I have always had a strong Christian faith. I was brought up I spent seven years in this assignment and loved every one empowered and included within their team, they are more live in a community where religion and faith is lived in public in a Christian household and raised with the church, both of them. Here I was listening to a diverse range of people, effective. Being a diverse and inclusive organisation is not just life, rather than private. the building and the people in it, being a huge part of my empathising, understanding their needs signposting them, preferable – it is essential. sometimes modifying policy to become more inclusive, and day-to-day life. As I sit and look back, I have been involved After my time on Lewis I thought I was destined to come influencing decision makers. Little did I know it, but it was I have no doubt that God has used my career path to prepare in some incredible things through church; from growing up back to the mainland as I had secured a permanent teaching excellent preparation for Aggies. me for this role in Aggie’s. The charity has transformed in through and then leading Girls’ Brigade, Sunday School and job in Aberdeenshire. However, God obviously had other recent years, and much of the credit for that rests with my Youth Group, becoming a Street Pastor and even travelling to plans as a long period of illness stopped me from ever being For most of my time in this role I also chaired the Trustees predecessor, Craig Fulton, and it has continued to transform Uganda to build houses and North Carolina to represent the able to start the role. After over 3 years of being unable of the Armed Forces Christian Union. One of my early tasks in order to cope with the consequences of COVID-19. church at a team ministry conference. Whenever I have lived to work, I was gradually reaching a place where I felt able was to undertake a strategic review of the AFCU, which away from home, I never really felt like I had come home for to take on a part-time job when a friend (who would later required building bridges with other organisations, developing Our role is not just to make life better for individual members a visit unless I had seen some of my church family.