Home Waterways Chaplains -

What do we do?

Waterways Chaplains offers support to those who use and live on the UK waterways and canals. Chaplains are volunteers from local churches who regularly visit the waterways offering companionship and a listening ear to individuals and businesses.

Waterways Chaplains assissting at a foodbank

How can Chaplains help you on the waterways?

"I can’t thank you all enough and my local surgery for recommending I contact you and a higher power for helping out too. I feel very privileged to have been given the help and support I’ve received when I needed it most otherwise it could have been a very different outcome. You have categorically SAVED A LIFE! God bless you all." Boater H, Buckby Locks

Contact a Waterways Chaplain

Use this form to get in touch with us and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Don't forget to include your location.

Contact Us

Please do get on touch with us, if you need a listening ear, someone to talk to, or you are interested in finding out about becoming a Waterways Chaplain.

We look forward to hearing from you….

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

Please complete this email contact form remembering to include your full location e.g. canal/river/bridge or lock number so we can (more…)

Meet The Team

Hover over the picture to see contact details for the chaplain.

Revd Mark Chester

Senior National Waterways Chaplain

I am a Church of England priest having served churches in Plymouth, Birmingham and Surrey. Before ordination I was a regular army officer and now live next

Revd Mark Chester