London Luton Airport Chaplaincy Team

 

• Supporting staff and passengers at the airport

• Offering emotional, practical and sometimes financial assistance to those in need

 
First an introduction - I am Liz Hughes (Revd Canon), Anglican Priest and Senior Chaplain at London Luton Airport. I succeeded the Revd Michael Banfield in this post following his retirement in 2013.

When I saw the advertisement for this post, I felt that it had my name written all over it!  It was full-time, managing a small team of volunteers, close to our home in Luton and aviation had always held a fascination for me, from when my Uncle took me on visits to Gatwick, as a teenager, when he was a senior Aircraft test engineer.

All I had to do was pray that Airport Chaplaincy was in God’s plan for me too!

Some Airport Chaplaincies concentrate solely on the staff, but our remit here is as broad as it can be.  So in one day we could be celebrating with a staff member who has just had a baby, assisting a passenger who has become stranded, by missing a flight or having the wrong documents (this has become more complicated during COVID, as rules have been changing on a daily basis – it’s been hard for the staff to keep up to speed, let alone the passengers) or we might be asked by Border Force to sit in on the interview of a minor (for example where there’s suspicion that the young person has been trafficked).

We have a close relationship with the local homeless charity, Noah.  We refer people to them who arrive with no plans, accommodation or finance.  They refer people to us for assistance in negotiating the Airport for their flight home (otherwise they could end up back on the street).

Being out and about in the terminal, we notice people who might be in need and are able to offer assistance, emotional, practical and sometimes financial (we have some money from the Airport and general donations for this purpose).

Before Christmas I noticed a woman fast asleep on the seats outside WH Smith.  When she hadn’t moved for quite some time I woke her up to see if she was OK.  She said she was just tired and would go soon.  I made sure that the police and Terminal Team were aware, in case she needed assistance overnight.  She was still there having hardly moved the next morning.  I asked again if she needed help and received the same answer.  When I went to check on her later she had gone, but all her baggage was still there!  I kept an eye on her belongings in case someone took them, or security saw them as a threat – as I suspected, she had simply gone to the loo without thinking that she might spark a security incident!

She eventually left the following day, a Friday – but by then was cross with me as I was pushing her quite firmly to ensure she had viable plans in place, before all other agencies closed for the weekend!

Liz Hughes
Senior Chaplain
January 2022

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