Image from left to right: Back row, Shitij Kapur, President & Principal; Tim Ditchfield, College Chaplain. Front row, Sachi Patel, Hindu Chaplain; Amandeep Kaur, Sikh Chaplain; Hogets Baerndal, Buddhist Chaplain; Ellen Clark-King, Dean
The Chaplaincy team recently welcomed three new Chaplains from the Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh faiths. Hogets Baerndal (Buddhist Chaplain), Sachi Patel (Hindu Chaplain), and Amandeep Kaur (Sikh Chaplain) join a growing inter-faith Chaplaincy team who are available to support the whole King’s community, of all beliefs and backgrounds.
Hogets, Sachi and Amandeep are all on campus one day a week, as they settle into their roles they look forward to meeting members of their own faith communities and the King’s community more widely.
Find out more about the new chaplains below:
Hogets Baerndal (Buddhist Chaplain)
Hogets Baerndal has lived in Sweden and Germany as well as the UK, and is a trained Zen teacher. She is also part of the Chaplaincy team at Imperial College London, and works as an artist and photographer.
Sachi Patel (Hindu Chaplain)
Sachi Patel is a Londoner, and amongst his previous Chaplaincy experience he particularly enjoyed being a Chaplain to the London Olympic Games in 2012. He has spent time in India, and has researched and written on the intersection between Hindu theology and politics.
Amandeep Kaur (Sikh Chaplain)
Amandeep Kaur grew up in Birmingham and now lives in Slough, and also works as a counsellor and holistic coach alongside her Chaplaincy role. She has previously worked at King’s in a different role, and is delighted to be back as one of the first Chaplains from the Dharmic faiths.
Support available from the Chaplaincy
Pastoral Support
The Chaplains are available to talk one-to-one with anyone at King’s. Providing pastoral support to anyone who needs it in the King’s community
The Chaplains are available to all staff and students, of all faiths and none. We are interested in tackling the big philosophical questions of life, and also in the minutiae of every day living and everything in between.
Chaplains work on different days and have varied availability, so we would encourage you to check the Chaplains' pages if there is a particular Chaplain (or a particular faith/tradition) that you would like to connect with. If not, feel free to simply email the Chaplaincy and one of us will get back to you.
Mindfulness
The Chaplaincy offers several opportunities for you to practice mindfulness. You don’t need any prior knowledge or experience of mindfulness or to hold any certain beliefs –anyone at King’s is welcome to join in.
Mindfulness isn’t a ‘religious practice,’ although many consider it to be spiritual in some way. Whatever your beliefs, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that mindfulness is good for us – body, mind and soul.
Mindfulness sessions run three times a week in term time:
- Monday, 14.30 – Mindful Meditation with Tim
- Wednesday, 10.00 – Mindfulness with Jenny
- Thursday, 13.00 – Mindfulness Half Hour
Contact the Chaplaincy to express an interest to join.
To find out more visit Special Services & Events page for details of available
Regular Services and events
The Chaplaincy runs a series of regular services which are detailed here, these services are listed in addition to the Special Services & Events.
You can also contact one of the Chaplains if you would like someone to pray with you.
If you want someone to be prayed for at one of our services, please let us know. The College Chapel on the Strand Campus has a prayer board where you can write and leave prayers and there is a place in the Chapel of Thomas Guy where you can do the same. You are welcome make your request via email to the Chaplaincy or by contacting any of the Chaplains.