It was a packed turn-out to bid farewell to our wonderful Chaplain Jan Gough who is retiring after 28 years of service.
During that time Jan has worn many hats and we mean that literally... check out some of the photos of her in action below.
She originally began here in October 1991 as a Diversional Therapist. She was one of the first people in New Zealand to obtain the National Certificate in Diversional Therapy, and was also one of the first to become a Registered and Qualified Diversional Therapist. She then set about establishing a Diversional Therapy Department in our Care Unit.
New passions and interests saw Jan expand and extend her role with us over and over again. Training, local community liaison, fund-raising and funding co-ordination, dementia care – all these and more have come under Jan’s wing over the years.
We are indebted to her for the thousands of hours she has put into organising hundreds of events here at the Village. Community Dinners, ANZAC Day celebrations, Father’s Day, Queen’s Birthday, Christmas Parades, Christmas pantos, activities for our residents… the list goes on.
In her role as Chaplain, Jan was the driving force behind the construction of our Ted Robinson Memorial Chapel. As a Charitable Company our ability to undertake infrastructure projects is largely reliant on donations from generous benefactors. One day Jan was speaking with Mr Robinson about the spiritual wellbeing of our residents and how fulfilling and useful it would be to have a chapel here. It wasn’t long after that that Mr Robinson put up the funding for the construction of the chapel and played his part in answering Jan’s prayer.
Jan has played a vital role in Ministering to our flock here at the Village and is greatly-loved but, at the age of 80, it’s time for her to revisit the idea of retirement that she abandoned nearly three decades ago. There is no way we can put a value on the love, care, commitment and dedication she has poured into our place, and our people. Thank you, Jan; enjoy your years of richly-deserved retirement.
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