The University of Bolton Chaplaincy will be officially opened on Thursday 11 March in a multi-faith celebratory event.
Cutting the ribbon to open the Chaplaincy will be the Right Rev Nigel McCulloch, Lord Bishop of Manchester and Imam Rashid Ali Musa Seth, Bolton Zakariyya Mosque. They will both be saying prayers, together with Buddhist, Gen Kelsang Wangmo.
Welcoming guests, who include the Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Norman Critchley, will be the University's Vice Chancellor, Dr George Holmes.
The new Chaplaincy facilities have been designed to support and celebrate the diverse University community of many different faiths.
Said University Chaplain, the Rev Phil Edwards: 'The work of the Chaplaincy is very much enhanced with the new facilities and the Chaplains and Pastoral Assistants have a base from which to work and see students and staff.
'The facilities may be used by people of any world-view, faith or spirituality and the single entrance and Resource Area encourages interaction and understanding between them. The Resource area includes books to borrow about different faiths, spiritualities and belief systems; and leaflets to take away about worship places in the area and other resources.'
Chaplaincy facilities also include the Chaplaincy Office and two rooms which are always kept open and which we distinguish with the names Prayer Room and Quiet Room.
Added Phil: 'With staff and students having busy timetables, many Muslims do not have enough time to visit their local Mosque for prayers. The Prayer Room has been designed specifically to help Muslim staff and students fulfil their religious requirements on site, and there are separate Ablution Facilities (Wudu) for males and females. The Quiet Room is a multi-faith room used by individuals for their own personal use as well as by small groups for worship, meditation and discussion including the Student Christian Union – so it is not always quiet! Within this room there are full audio-visual facilities so that sounds, images and film can be used to aid mediations, worship or discussion. There is also a Chaplaincy Office where students or staff can talk in confidence with one of the chaplains or pastoral assistants.
'The furniture, furnishings and audio-visual facilities have been made possible with the help from the Markland Trust, the Diocese of Manchester Board of Education, Bolton Council, Bolton Christian Community Cohesion Project, Bolton Council of Mosques and individuals. Bolton Hindu Forum has donated a number of items.'
The Chaplaincy team consists of a part-time co-ordinating chaplain, a chaplain on secondment from Bolton Christian Community Cohesion Project and other volunteer chaplains and pastoral assistants. The management of the Chaplaincy is part of the work of the Vice Chancellor's Advisory Group on Faith and Spirituality who were actively involved in planning the facilities and discussing the details with the architect.The work of the Chaplaincy includes:
* pastoral support for students and staff of any faith or world-view
* promotion of understanding between different faiths, beliefs and ethical views
*encouragement of general well-being and spiritual development
*giving information and advice about religion and belief which affects the life of the University
*building links between the University and local community, specifically the faith communities.