Whose needs are met?
How do prisons respond to religious diversity, minority faiths, changing beliefs, and people who do not identify with a religion?
CHURCHILL FELLOWSHIP PROJECT · 2026–27
Care across
borders.
What can prison chaplaincy teach us about care, belief, and belonging—and what can we learn by looking beyond our own system?
My Churchill Fellowship explores prison chaplaincy and faith and belief provision across all five Nordic countries and Japan, bringing international learning back to criminal justice practice in the UK.
Explore the project
PLANNED REPORT LAUNCHSeptember 2027Research, reflections, and recommendations for UK practice.
THE PROJECT
Belief, dignity,
and everyday care.
Prison chaplaincy sits at the intersection of religion, public institutions, and deeply personal experience.
My project asks how different prison systems understand this work: who provides pastoral care, whose beliefs are recognised, and how people find meaning and connection in custody. It builds on my qualitative research into sacred spaces in English and Welsh prisons and my professional experience across criminal justice.
Through overseas learning and qualitative inquiry, I will explore the relationships between chaplains, people in prison, and the institutions around them. The aim is to identify ideas that can inform more thoughtful, inclusive practice in the UK, while taking the differences between countries seriously.
WHERE I’LL BE LEARNING
Five Nordic countries.
And Japan.
01
Denmark
02
Finland
03
Iceland
04
Norway
05
Sweden
06
Japan
Overseas learning is planned for 2027. Visit arrangements and project updates will be shared as the work develops.
QUESTIONS GUIDING THE WORK
Looking closely.
Thinking comparatively.
Where does care happen?
What makes a space feel safe or sacred, and how do trust, presence, and everyday relationships shape the work of chaplaincy?
What can change?
How are chaplaincy services organised and supported, and which lessons could usefully inform UK prison policy and practice?
ABOUT THE FELLOWSHIP
Learning abroad.
Change at home.
A Churchill Fellowship supports people to learn from approaches and practice overseas, and use that learning to benefit communities in the UK. It connects international inquiry with practical change.
I was awarded my Fellowship in 2026 under the theme Building a Society that Cares. My project focuses that opportunity on the role of chaplaincy, religion, and pastoral care in prison life.
My official Churchill Fellow profileFROM LEARNING TO PRACTICE
A report.
An ongoing conversation.
The report is planned for launch in September 2027, bringing together findings, reflections, and recommendations. It will be written for chaplaincy teams, prison leaders, policymakers, researchers, and others interested in care and belief in institutions.
I welcome conversations with practitioners, researchers, and organisations across the Nordic countries, Japan, and the UK.