Faiths and beliefs
Our Chaplaincy is available to all students irrespective of faith or commitment. It’s here to support your learning experience, including any spiritual and personal issues you might want to discuss in confidence.
You do not need to be religious to talk with a chaplain. The Chaplaincy offers a listening ear, without judgement and hopes you find a warm welcome.
As a student at ARU, you can contact our chaplains directly. You can also use the prayer and meditation facilities available on our campuses.
The Chaplaincy has the benefit of people from inside and outside ARU bringing the strengths of varied religious traditions. We offer opportunities for prayer, ritual and the sacraments, scriptural study and times of celebration during high and holy days.
Current students can find chaplaincy information on MyARU (login required).
Meet our chaplains
About Alison
Alison was ordained in 1999, prior to which she worked as a music therapist. She is fascinated by vocation and how music heals and moves us to prayer.
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07860 407721
About Hannah
Hannah is an ordained priest in the Church of England and as well as being Chaplain for ARU Chelmsford is also a Priest in charge of St John’s Moulsham. Hannah has a background in dance and still enjoys the odd class as well as sitting down for coffee with a good book.
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07498208259
About Gale
Gale is an ordained minister in the Baptist church tradition and has a background in researching and facilitating informal education for marginalised groups. She will be the interim campus Chaplain at Peterborough during this academic year, and can be found most Mondays on the Ground Floor of University House.
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07731 016752
Visit: University House (Mondays)
About John
John believes in ministering to people where they are, where they work, study and socialise, and is an Anglican from the Anglo-Catholic tradition, which is inclusive of all people, irrespective of gender or sexuality. John is also an active member of the Agri-Tech industry.
Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 01245 424200 (extn 25728)
Prayer and meditation facilities on campus
Before using our facilities on campus, please read our rules and guidance.
Multi-Faith Room - MUM110, Mumford
Located diagonally opposite the Medical Centre, the Multi-Faith Room is available for anyone to use for personal reflection when not occupied by a group. Please leave requests for prayer by filling in one of the cards on the table inside the room.
Various books may be borrowed. If you do borrow a book, please leave a sheet of paper where the book was with your name and contact details on it. Please return books within four weeks of borrowing them.
Groups who wish to use the room should book this with The Revd. Alison Kennedy, at: [email protected]
Muslim Prayer Room - MUM020, Mumford
Located on the ground floor of Mumford, the room is down the passage and on the right. There are Wudu facilities for both men and women inside.
The current prayer rooms in MUM020, fitted with ablution facilities, are open 24/7, for the entirety of Ramadan.
Muslim Prayer Room – COM018, Compass House
This simple prayer space provides screened-off areas for Brothers and Sisters to pray.
Muslim prayer room - SAW000, Sawyers Building
Located in the Sawyers building (SAW000), the new Muslim prayer room has been custom-built and is screened to provide separate areas for the Brothers and Sisters, with Wudu facilities.
Please note, that the Muslim prayer space is open 24/7 during Ramadan.
For Muslim Friday prayers please contact the ARU Islamic Society.
Multi-faith Meditation and prayer room - MAB118, Lord Ashcroft Building
Located in the Lord Ashcroft Building (MAB118), the Multi-Faith, Meditation and Prayer room is available to all for quiet prayer, meditation and reflection.
On the Peterborough campus, we have prayer rooms available within University House.
On the first floor, through the reading room, there is a room suitable for all faiths and none. This is a specific place for having time to pray, have quiet for reflection and be able to just be present and still in time. There are also multi-faith books to read.
Muslim prayer room
On the second floor, we have two rooms, specifically for the Muslim faiths. There is a separate male and female room. They have prayer mats, a wash facility and Qurans available to use.
The Writtle campus also has a Chaplain on site every Wednesday to talk to students and support them through any general concerns or issues.
Writtle University College Chaplain
Father John Bloomer
On Campus Every Wednesday
[email protected]
The Multi-Faith Room is a space for spiritual refreshment, exploration, quiet contemplation and worship for students, staff and governors of any religious persuasion and none. It is designed to be conducive to individual prayer and meditation and will contain appropriate facilities to assist the prayers of members of different religious traditions. Members of the Muslim community can use the nearby changing rooms in the Hubert Ashdon Recreational Centre for their ablutions prior to prayer.
It is expected that the MFR will be shared openly with those of any religious traditions who may wish to pray at the same time and those who might wish to think or reflect.
Any group wishing to book the room for regular use must request to do so through the Student Union (SU). The SU are responsible for monitoring the booking of the MFR.