Wellbeing

The end of the year marks two and a half years as Chaplain of Plenty Valley. Starting in the lockdowns of 2020, wasn’t the way I envisioned my start to chaplaincy to be. Especially when your role is about building connections with students, by being a positive support to them as they go through school. I’m thankful 2022 has been an uninterrupted school year, meaning these connections have been made and I’ve managed to build a great repour with the students, who freely come to talk to me, and are happy to have a laugh when walking around the school grounds.

Besides being the chaplain at our school, I’m also the Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Pentecost church in Doncaster. I’ve been involved in youth ministry since 2008 and I have a passion for helping young people through life’s challenges. This is what lead me into becoming a school chaplain. As a Youth Pastor I was only able to help students on a Friday night and a Sunday, I wanted to be able to help them more, so I studied to become a chaplain so I could help young people while they are at school.

A little about me; I recently got married, during the Easter holidays, and we’re expecting our daughter in March 2023. I’m also a qualified horticulturist, studying at Burnley and running a gardening business for ten years, before stopping to help an Iranian church with their youth program, followed by studies in chaplaincy and then starting at PVCC. 

It’s a blessing to be the chaplain at Plenty Valley.

 I’m looking forward to the continuous help I can offer each of the students at our school, for as long as God calls me to be here. For all students, my office door is always open when I’m at school, which is Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

Andrew Austin - College Chaplain