Multi-faith chaplaincy

"My pronouns are she/her. I am a Black British Female of Jamaican ancestry and the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy coordinator, which is a part-time role and is part of the Wellbeing service.

"I develop people, projects and places. I am an ordained inter-denominational Christian Minister with a strong passion and long history of cultural activism, campaigning for causes of social equality, justice and peace. I have a background in performing arts, theatre production, and cultural engagement and have worked as an actor, touring theatre producer, performance poet and Drama in Education practitioner.

"I am a community cohesion specialist with wide ranging expertise in initiating and delivering participation projects that create community voice for socially deprived, marginalised or disengaged committees and sections of society.

"I have also trained as a healthcare chaplain at Guys and St. Thomas’s Hospital and I have worked in the mental health sector for over 20 years as a Community Chaplain and coordinator for SIMBA (an arts based advocacy group for BAME service users). As a trainer, I developed the training module Understanding Spirituality in Mental Health and Wellbeing for South Lambeth and Maudsley NHS Mental Health Trust.

"My mission is to combine creativity, technology and indigenous holistic practices from all over the world to explore spirituality and wellbeing in the context of a fast changing world. I am excited to explore universal and creative strategies to engage, inspire and enrich the lives of SOAS students and staff.

"I am the founder of a social enterprise, Spirit First Creatives, where I run a number events including monthly gathering called Decorating the Spirit where participants engage in the arts, wellbeing and shared social experiences. Part of this process also includes meditation, keeping a gratitude journal and vision planning for your life.

"I am currently working on my first book of poetry, 'Black Blessed and British', which will be published in the summer of 2020."

Reverend Gail Thompson is our Disability Chaplain, and a long-time member and ordained Christian minister of the CIC international (churches in communities). She is also a member of the Centre for World Evangelism and ambassadors College in Croydon.

Although now in her sixties, Gail's background includes 20 years as a professional conductor and saxophonist. As well as conducting her own big band, world tours, solo appearances at the Albert Hall, Barbican, and many more prestigious events and appearances, she played the tenor and baritone sax with luminaries such as Art Blakey, Charlie Watts, the Jazz Warriors, founded and established a music school in Brixton called Musicworks for 3000 students, women in music and founded various jazz festivals through her promotion company: all before the age of thirty.

Gail had a promising future in the profession until at the age of 29 she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. However, this did not dampen her ebullient enthusiasm. She started arranging and scoring music for big bands, and writing scores for many television shows.

At the age of 43 she was called into ministry and studied at Ambassadors and Spurgeon's College. There she obtained her ministerial qualifications, Dip Min, Bachelors Hons and Masters degree in theology and fine arts. She is studying for her PhD in 2019.

The call to serve the community has always been reflected in anything she put her hand to. Gail has established Millennium Community Services for that very reason. Having in the past served as a Governor of St Thomas's and Guy's Hospital, Arts Council of Great Britain and various funding bodies, Lambeth and local Borough councils for many years, she is currently an ambassador for World Vision's children charity, while running many community projects in Lambeth sheltered housing schemes, disability day care centres, nursery schools reading programs and much much more.

Gail is truly an effervescent, tireless committed person that is well equipped to deal with the day-to-day running and fundraising of this new community endeavour. Gail has recently launched the Southwyck Hall Skill Centre/Gallery, on the Southwyck Estate, Brixton, featuring many free accredited courses, including Art, Health and Safety, Wellbeing, Social Care, ESOL etc.

I am serving as the Hindu Chaplain at SOAS university. Having completed a masters at Bath University, and an undergraduate degree before that, I can’t get away from the student experience! Before embarking on a career in the city, I resided in India for a year to experience monastic life, where I practiced meditation and became a qualified yoga teacher. 

Looking to further share wisdom from the East, I’ve been conducting interactive workshops and courses since 2015 at a number of universities including LSE, Cambridge, Warwick, Bristol & Imperial. Topics have included overcoming fear, Yoga psychology, and essential teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.  

My aim is to inspire learning, which is beyond a classroom style manner, and make spirituality fun and interesting to understand. I also have a keen interest in world philosophies such as Stoicism and the concept of Asceticism.  

Please feel free to contact me for a catch up, or if there’s any way that I can serve you.