Lead Chaplain

Tim Welch is an accredited Baptist minister who has served four churches alongside working as a part-time chaplain at Shrewsbury Town Football Club and later as a hospital chaplain in Jersey. He has been a longtime supporter of YMCA Cheltenham, and Tim sees this opportunity to pioneer a chaplaincy team as drawing his life interests together, to enable many more people discover the transformative hope of Jesus.

In his spare time, Tim continues his lifelong pursuit of trying to get fit, enjoying walking, and a recent rediscovery of Lego.

Our Christian chaplaincy team comes alongside residents, service-users, staff and volunteers in the YMCA community, offering a listening ear with pastoral and spiritual support wherever possible.

Chaplaincy recognises that our spiritual and emotional health matters as we navigate challenges through a lifetime. So, our chaplaincy programme is designed to provide opportunities for hope-filled conversations, encountering God’s love with opportunities for Bible exploration, as well as responding to all requests for prayer. This is how the YMCA started back in 1844, and we are still about the business of nurturing spiritual health today.

Our previous Chair of Trustees (Mike Horne) rephrased Luke 4:18–19, beautifully encapsulating our work of chaplaincy, and the transformative hope Jesus offers us all:

‘Tell the desperate people that there is good news
Bind up the brokenhearted and fragmented and crushed
Proclaim freedom to the addicted
And help those who cannot see hope, see again
To help the trapped and addicted find freedom
And tell people they are accepted and have value
And that their life is precious’

Prayer Support

Join a team of prayer supporters by receiving a bimonthly prayer update with information and prayer requests, praying for the work and people within our Housing, Health & Wellbeing, and Children & Families Teams.

Would you like become a Volunteer Chaplain for our Chaplaincy Team?

We are looking for support to assist the varied work of the Chaplaincy Team working with our staff, residents, and clients of our services.  Below are some examples of duties that Volunteer Chaplains can be involved in:

• Supporting activity sessions
• Being a listening ear
• Driving
• Pastoral care
• Collating and delivering Welcome Packs to residents

Can you offer a minimum of 2 hours or more a week?

Application form, DBS, reference, and training will be required.

Welcome Packs

We like to give each new resident a welcome pack when they arrive at our YMCA Housing in Cheltenham or Gloucester, and we are inviting you to consider joining us to enable this act of welcome and generosity as we seek to show the love of Jesus.

Donate to a Welcome Pack

Could you or someone you know donate items for our welcome packs? You’ll find a handy essential shopping list on the back of this flyer.

Assemble a Welcome Pack

Would you or your church/group consider assembling a Welcome Pack?

Or are you able to join us to help collate the Welcome Packs?

Sponsor a Welcome Pack

Would you or your church/group like to sponsor a Welcome Pack?

We have calculated the value of each pack to be around £40.

Our Shopping List

Tea Towel

Small washing up liquid

Shower gel

Shampoo

Toothpaste

Toothbrush

Toilet roll

Coffee

Teabags

Sugar

Long-life milk

Biscuits

Small food selection – can of soup, can of beans, pasta sauce and packet of pasta, box of cereal, packet of microwave rice and tin of tuna.

Dinner plate

Cereal Bowl

Cutlery

Mug

A frying pan/saucepan

Sanitary products (in some boxes)

We always value the opportunity to speak at your church, school or community group about God’s Mission and the local work of YMCA in Gloucestershire.