Meet the team
Currently we have 4 chaplains, one employed and three volunteers.
Principle Chaplain: Sarah Giffen
Sarah has been a primary care chaplain since 2013.
Her role involves seeing patients, developing an expanding service, supervision of other chaplains, and research into spiritual care in a General Practice setting.
She has a MSc in Advanced Healthcare with a specialism in Chaplaincy, as well as a background in psychology and pastoral care work.
Sarah is an advisor to the Association of Chaplains in General Practice and is registered with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy.
Chaplain: Mary Wylie
Mary comes from a specialist educational background.
She has qualifications in counselling, a long history of pastoral work experience and is an accredited Chaplain with the ACGP.
Mary has been involved with a local charitable organisation for many years providing a listening ear and one-to-one support to those in crisis situations.
Chaplain: Gillian Allan
Gillian has an honours degree in Psychology and post-graduate qualification in Career Guidance.
Her professional background includes Careers Guidance and various management roles within this field.
More recently Gillian has been the Children and Family worker at a large Baptist church which involved pastoral care for a large number of volunteers, parents and children.
Gillian has an interest in Safeguarding and is involved in encouraging good practice in this area.
Chaplain: Ishbel MacCormick
Ishbel joined the Chaplaincy team in 2021 having worked in secondary care Mental Health in the NHS for over 30 years. With professional qualifications in this area, she has experience of a broad range of conditions and psychotherapeutic approaches.
She observed first-hand the effects of the Covid pandemic on patients and staff in the NHS, Care sector and other settings and this has been especially helpful in Chaplaincy practice.
Ishbel also has a special interest in neurodiversity (ADHD and Autism) and is involved in Safeguarding training within her church.
She is working towards accreditation with the ACGP and values the opportunity within Chaplaincy to be holistic in her approach, listening carefully and without judgement, offering support and guidance and considering the person as a whole as they interact with the world, especially during times of change or adversity, and, where appropriate, reflecting on a spiritual perspective.
Principle Chaplain: Sarah Giffen
Sarah has been a primary care chaplain since 2013.
Her role involves seeing patients, developing an expanding service, supervision of other chaplains, and research into spiritual care in a General Practice setting.
She has a MSc in Advanced Healthcare with a specialism in Chaplaincy, as well as a background in psychology and pastoral care work.
Sarah is an advisor to the Association of Chaplains in General Practice and is registered with the UK Board of Healthcare Chaplaincy.
Chaplain: Mary Wylie
Mary comes from a specialist educational background.
She has qualifications in counselling, a long history of pastoral work experience and is an accredited Chaplain with the ACGP.
Mary has been involved with a local charitable organisation for many years providing a listening ear and one-to-one support to those in crisis situations.
Chaplain: Gillian Allan
Gillian has an honours degree in Psychology and post-graduate qualification in Career Guidance.
Her professional background includes Careers Guidance and various management roles within this field.
More recently Gillian has been the Children and Family worker at a large Baptist church which involved pastoral care for a large number of volunteers, parents and children.
Gillian has an interest in Safeguarding and is involved in encouraging good practice in this area.
Chaplain: Ishbel MacCormick
Ishbel joined the Chaplaincy team in 2021 having worked in secondary care Mental Health in the NHS for over 30 years. With professional qualifications in this area, she has experience of a broad range of conditions and psychotherapeutic approaches.
She observed first-hand the effects of the Covid pandemic on patients and staff in the NHS, Care sector and other settings and this has been especially helpful in Chaplaincy practice.
Ishbel also has a special interest in neurodiversity (ADHD and Autism) and is involved in Safeguarding training within her church.
She is working towards accreditation with the ACGP and values the opportunity within Chaplaincy to be holistic in her approach, listening carefully and without judgement, offering support and guidance and considering the person as a whole as they interact with the world, especially during times of change or adversity, and, where appropriate, reflecting on a spiritual perspective.
