Faith & Reflection

We’re still here for you. During the Coronavirus pandemic, our team is working remotely but can be contacted on faith&reflection@bournemouth.ac.uk. As chaplains we are still on hand to offer a listening ear and a virtual cup of tea via Zoom! Global Café and the Conversation Café will return early September via Zoom. We are currently reviewing how we can open the Faith & Reflection centre as safely as possible and so it remains closed until further notice.

The latest information from BU can be found in our Coronavirus FAQs.

Faith & Reflection; Multi-faith chaplaincy focused around place, people and programme.

Our team of chaplains and faith advisors are here to support staff and students of all faiths and none from both AUB and BU. We aim for the Faith & Reflection centre to be a place of sanctuary and welcome, and in the midst of the busyness of life, a hospitable space for people to come and simply be. Alongside the space we offer opportunities for listening, connection and encounter.

We think that university life and experience should be enriching and so we look to celebrate faith traditions, festivals and snapshots of life from the perspectives of people of faith, which offer others hope, joy and a chance to grow individually and in community. We believe that encountering people who come from differing places and hold differing beliefs is an opportunity for learning in and of itself. We seek to host inter-faith dialogue and to bring people together in ways that strive for peace and cohesion.

Place

The Faith & Reflection centre is on the first floor of Talbot House (the building with the medical centre on the Talbot Campus). We are a hidden gem and so need a little finding! If you are accessing the centre from the flight of stairs you need to turn left, walk through the music department and then turn left again. From the lift, turn left, pass the top of the stairs, through the music department and then left again.

The centre itself has a communal area which is a free space anyone can come and use. We hope it is a pocket of peace and we try to host the space in that way. Come and explore it for yourself! In addition we have a quiet room which can be used by individuals for private meditation, prayer, or simply a quiet space to be. This space is not usually operated through a booking system but is open the basis that if no one is using it you can! We also have a meeting room which can be booked through one of the chaplaincy team. It is a flexible space and it is used for things like;

Student society committee meetings
Staff meetings
Group work project planning
Small group catch ups.

We have an Islamic prayer room, a Kosher kitchen and an open kitchen (with a kettle and microwave which can be used by anyone accessing the centre). We also keep a good supply of biscuits!

People

Our chaplains and faith advisors work mainly from the Faith & Reflection centre but can be found out and about of both university campuses. The role of a chaplain is maybe something you are a little unclear on! We are people from various faith traditions and perspectives who are available to listen, to support, to encourage and to speak into individual and communal life. People will seek a chaplain as someone to listen to them for differing reasons, but some examples include;

When they are looking to make a complex or difficult life decision
When they need a confidential place to be heard
At a time of bereavement
When they are feeling isolated
Are looking to explore spirituality
Need advice or support from a specific faith tradition.

Our discreet listening offer is open to those of all faiths and none.

We are connected to the universities’ wellbeing and student support networks and signpost students and staff for specific support as needed. In addition, and only if it is something of interest, we can provide information about faith activities and worship.

We are currently looking to build a wider team of voluntary chaplains and faith advisors. If you have an interest in this area do contact us!

Programme

Throughout the year we join in events and activities facilitated by teams across the universities as well as hosting our own. These events vary but can be about celebrating differing festivals, promoting opportunities for inter-faith dialogue, responding to ethical issues in social action, bringing people together to tackle isolation or looking to positively contribute to the wider community. We can help shape acts of remembrance, facilitate vigils, host acts of worship and help mark important events within the life of the universities.

We run a stream of activities specifically for international students. Our international student work is run by our International Chaplain - Sue Burt - who works for Friends International, a Christian organisation which seeks to provide welcome, hospitality and activities for international students of all faiths and of none. Currently we run a weekly Global Café which is a chance to meet other international students, and a weekly Conversation Café which is an opportunity to practice English language speaking whilst discussing some big life questions!

We also run a stream for postgraduate students which is facilitated by Tim Peters who works for Navigators, a national Christian organisation working alongside students.

We run two monthly PGR lunches where we provide a free lunch and a safe space to connect with other postgraduate students (one at Talbot House and one on the BU Lansdowne campus).

Look out for more events and activities throughout the year!

Our Faith & Reflection team

International Chaplain - Sue Burt

Sue Burt, the International Chaplain, is particularly responsible for welcoming and providing support to international students.

She works for the Christian organisation Friends International which seeks to provide welcome, hospitality and activities for international students of all faiths and of none.

"I love travelling and find it fascinating to learn about different cultures. I have visited more than 40 countries and lived in France for a year. I have also done lots of study over the years so I know just how it feels to have all those assignment deadlines and dissertation proposals!

In Faith & Reflection we want to support international students. if you're feeling lonely, struggling to understand our culture, or you just want to chat about what's happening in your life (the good and the not so good), do come and see us. I'm at Bournemouth University on Wednesdays. You can always email me: sburt@bournemouth.ac.uk. Or come and meet me and other colleagues at Global Cafe - each Wednesday in term-time, 5.00-6.30 pm, 3rd floor Fusion Building. Come and enjoy free drinks and cookies and meet friends.

Associate Chaplain - Tim Peters

Tim helps run various groups including the postgraduate Christian fellowship, but also helps with the inter-faith groups and football. All faiths and none are welcome to join the groups.

Tim can often be found boiling the kettle in the Faith & Reflection kitchen - which is available and accessible for all students and staff.

"Feel free to say hello and my door is open on Wednesdays and Friday afternoons when I'm at BU, or you can contact me at peterst@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Anglican Chaplain - Ruth Wells

Rev'd Ruth Wells is a Priest in the Church of England and as well as working part-time in a local parish she works part-time for the Faith & Reflection team. She is normally around on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Ruth is a performance poet and is particularly drawn to using the arts as a way of finding soul nourishment. She is currently exploring beginning a PhD using poetics and theology. Ruth is really interested in how spirituality is worked out and connected to everyday life, and in how faith connects heart and head. She enjoys hearing people's stories - especially over a cup of coffee!

She'd love to chat to you and hear your story too - you can contact her via email at rwells@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Catholic Priest - Andrew Wagstaff

Father Andrew Wagstaff is our Catholic Priest. He is on campus usually on a Wednesday afternoon at Talbot and on a Tuesday afternoon in BG04, Bournemouth House at Lansdowne Campus. All are welcome to join him in praying the Rosary at 2.30pm on Wednesdays in the Faith & Reflection centre. He also takes part in meetings of the BU Catholic Society: subucatholicsoc@bournemouth.ac.uk.

Father Andrew has been a member of the Congregation of the Oratory since 2012. The Oratory takes its inspiration from St Philip Neri (1515 - 1595), the saint of gentleness and kindness. St John Henry Newman brought the Oratory to England in 1848.

When he is not at the University, Father Andrew can be found at the Oratory Church in Bournemouth where he lives with the other Fathers of the Oratory. On Sunday evenings he hosts a discussion group for Catholics aged 18 - 35, and on Tuesday evenings he hosts a Bible Study, both in the St John Henry Newman Library.

Before joining the Oratory, Father Andrew practised as a barrister, and he is still interested in legal and bioethical issues and philosophy. His Master’s degree is in Biblical interpretation, and he has a research interest in the formation of the New Testament canon.

Faith societies

Faith societies are a part of the Student Union (SUBU) that represent groups of students with a shared common interest. They are run by students, for students, and tend to have weekly meetings and social events. Any student can join a society that is affiliated to the Student Union. For a list of current faith societies visit SUBU Clubs & Societies page.