After joining the Army at the age of 18 in 1992, Katie completed basic training at Army Women’s Training Centre in Guilford before travelling to undertake trade training with the Royal Military Police at Chichester.
She completed 2 operational tours to Bosnia and Croatia during the genocide in 1994 and 1995 after which she was deployed as a searcher Corporal in Northern Ireland. Having been selected to attend the commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Katie was commissioned in August 1997 and returned to the RMP. In 2002 she left the Army and trained with Humberside Probation service prior to starting ordination training.
Katie joined the Newcastle team in 2007 on a long placement and in her own words “forgot to leave” – she was appointed as head of chaplaincy for the trust in 2020.
What do you enjoy most about your work?
“I enjoy working within a Trust that is so diverse and forward thinking. No two days are ever the same which means I never know what a shift is going to bring. I spend a lot of my time journeying alongside patients, relatives and the staff, be that on the wards or in the chapel of rest.
I have the privilege of being with people at the very best and the very worst of times. I enjoy coming to work every day and am proud to be a part of a team that values and supports me. As a former army officer I particularly recognise how being a part of this Trust, echoes my experiences of good leadership and a strong team ethos.”
What do you do in your spare time?
I qualified as an Inshore Rescue Boat Coxswain on leaving the military and enjoy ultra-distance trail running and fast packing. My partner of 16 years is a GP and also a priest and we have two children.
How was the filming / why did you want to be part of the series?
I enjoyed filming, mostly! Getting the chance to show people what hospital chaplaincy is actually about as opposed to what people think we do was great and also a reminder to all of our team about how embedded and valued we are in the organisation.
Poppy Jingles
Poppy is a 9-year-old springer spaniel (who her family think is crossed with a sloth!). She was rescued from an unsuitable home at about 6 weeks old and came to live with her family “just until the shelters clear”, two days before Christmas. Nine years on she is still with the same family, including Katie our head of chaplaincy.
Poppy started working at Newcastle Hospitals nearly 4 years ago and her “pleased to see you approach to work” is now legendary. The only time she goes faster than a gentle amble is when she has her work vest and ID card put on her.
She conducts ‘pat and chat’ and ‘mooch with the pooch’ sessions for our staff who need some care and wellbeing time. A natural with those in distress, she’s an adored and popular team member across the trust sites, including the restaurant at the Freeman Hospital, whose black pudding she is particularly fond of at chaplaincy team breakfasts.
During the pandemic, Poppy was ‘furryloughed’ – even it was on 80% biscuits – but is now back at work. She has been the subject of a published journal article about her work as a NHS staff welfare hound and has her own twitter handle @poppy_hound.
Looking towards the future and the important role she fulfils, Poppy is currently training an apprentice – a 20-week Labrador puppy called Fern – who has started to visit the hospitals alongside her.
