Workplace Matters (WM), a charity which has over 50 years’ experience of taking Christian values into the workplace, including providing chaplaincy to a wide range of organisations within the private, not-for-profit and public sectors, has begun searching for its next Executive Director. The post became vacant a few weeks ago, following the resignation of the previous Director, on health grounds.

According to Alan Harpham, WM’s Chairman, the St Albans-based ecumenical charity is looking for someone with a background in, and understanding of, business and the role that faith and spirituality plays in working life. He added: “In particular, we’re looking for someone who’ll not only provide strategic vision and direction but who will also seek and implement new and innovative ways of engaging faith and church with the business and work community.The role is a unique opportunity for a lay or ordained individual of any mainstream denomination with a background in, understanding of, or interest in business and the role faith and spirituality plays in working life.”

Among its various activities and initiatives, WM provides chaplaincy services anywhere – within Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire – where people work. These chaplains operate within the emergency services – in police stations, among fire and ambulance teams and so on – in the manufacturing industry; especially at Vauxhall Motors in Luton; in the ‘town centre retail’ environment; with those living and working along the Grand Union Canal, and at London Luton Airport.

In addition, WM has launched EPICC, its consultancy arm, which aims to bring greater recognition and status to spirituality in the workplace. EPICC’s emphasis is on human care within organisational strategy and culture, and it focuses on growing and developing an organisation and its people together, as well as creating an environment that draws out underlying wisdom and releases energy.

For further details of WM and the Executive Director’s role, contact workplacematters@stalbans.anglican.org or visit the organisation’s website: http://www.workplacematters.org.uk/

Comment: This is both an exciting and challenging, time for WM. The current economic situation means that there’s a growing need to provide spiritual support and guidance to people in the workplace – but this wealth of opportunities brings its own challenges, not least building effectively on existing networks to enable the right people to use the most appropriate ways to meet these needs.

Moreover, while bringing spiritual support (‘church’, if you like) to the workplace, WM also needs to represent the voice of the workplace (notably its spiritual needs) to churches which, by nature, tend to focus on communities other than those purely to do with work.