Rev. Pat Aldred – Lead Chaplain

Pat has spent a lifetime in the military. After 10 years in the Royal Navy, he served in the British Army, as a chaplain, for 25 years. His role took him across the globe. This developed his passion for travel. After a brief stint in Shrewsbury, a few years ago, Pat decided that this would become home and he, and his partner, bought a cottage here in 2020. Chaplaincy has always been the focus of Pat’s ministry and after studying theology at Bristol, he completed his post graduate degree in chaplaincy at Cardiff University.

He lives close to Shrewsbury hospital with his partner and their two sprocker spaniels, Charles and Camilla. He is also an associate priest at Shrewsbury Abbey and is the Bishop of Lichfield’s advisor for Acute NHS chaplaincy. Pat also chairs SaTH’s PRIDE Network. When not working or walking the dogs, Pat enjoys meeting new people and travelling to far flung places across the world. He always has another holiday to look forward to and a new destination to add to the bucket list.

 Rev. Mervyn Williams – Full-time Chaplain 

Mervyn has been a Chaplain for SaTH since June 2010. Before that he worked as Verger for his local parish church in Church Stretton. When he left school, he was a baker for 14 years.

In his spare time, he loves cooking, reading, playing Mah Jong and most importantly, travelling.

 Kevin Place – Full-time Chaplain 

Kevin is an experienced multi-faith chaplain with a background in palliative and end of life care. He served in the Royal Air Force for 36 years and most recently he developed and delivered mindfulness activities. He also supported healthcare colleagues at a regional hospice with pastoral care and wellbeing initiatives throughout the pandemic.

Kev loves meeting new people from all walks of life, cultures, and interests, and he always finds shared time together meaningful. Kev is known as a thoughtful, kind, compassionate listener who also enjoys sharing a song or two. He is committed to the team’s growth and development, working across the organisation and with all communities, meeting needs where they arise and sharing peaceful, happy moments in challenging times.

 Rev. Keith Osmund- Smith BEM – Part-time Chaplain

Keith was appointed to the SaTH Chaplaincy Department in August 2021 having been an on-call Chaplain with the Trust for about ten years.

After many years’ service as a police officer he was ordained in 2002 as a Baptist Minister and pastored Madeley Baptist Church in Telford until July 2021. Keith was involved in Interfaith Relations while a serving police officer for many years and was a member of the Wolverhampton Interfaith Council before moving to Telford where in 2000 he was a founder member of the Telford & Wrekin Interfaith Group (TWIG). He served West Mercia Police from 2007 as Police Chaplain until 2021 and is currently the Brigade Chaplain for Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service providing pastoral support across the 23 fire stations in Shropshire.

In June 2021 Keith stepped down from full time ministry and was privileged to be appointed to a half time position as Multi faith Chaplain. Keith enjoys being part of a highly motivated and experienced team of professionals, helping to provide the very necessary spiritual, pastoral and religious care to patients and staff within our Trust hospitals.

Keith was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2022 New Year Honours List for service to the community in Shropshire.

Canon Jonathan Mitchell – Part-time Chaplain 

Jonathan is a senior priest with the Diocese of Shrewsbury, with over 25 years of pastoral experience. He has been appointed to serve in parishes in Stockport, Altrincham, Runcorn, Northwich and Shrewsbury. He is now Parish Priest of Church Stretton. During his parish appointments he has worked as part of chaplaincy teams in Wythenshawe, Stepping Hill and Leighton Hospitals as well as a civilian chaplain for the Army and the Prison Service.

 Ashia Miah – Part Time Trainee Muslim Chaplain 

Ashia joined the SaTH multi-faith chaplaincy team in 2023. Before this role she held several positions across a wide variety of industries and charities. Alongside her chaplaincy role at SaTH, Ashia is a Group Facilitator for Victim Support (domestic abuse) and she is the Chairperson for STUWA (Shropshire and Telford United Women’s Association). Ashia loves helping people and has set up various projects in the community to meet the religious, spiritual, mental and physical health needs.

Imam Suleman Bhamji – Part Time Chaplain 

Suleman started with the team in a part-time role in February 2023. He is an Imam in the community in Telford and he also works part-time for the prison service. Suleman has a BA degree in Islamic Theology.

Although quite new to the role of a healthcare chaplain, Suleman finds it a very rewarding and satisfying job. He says he enjoys working as part of a multi-faith team because it gives him the opportunity to increase his knowledge in other faiths and at the same time deliver a common goal that the team are working towards. In his spare time, Suleman enjoys playing football.

Rev. Sandie Ward – Part-time Chaplain  

Sandie is originally from Guernsey in the Channel Islands, where she was privileged to work as the mental health Chaplain for 15 years. Sandie and her family moved to Cornwall in 2013 and Sandie worked as a Chaplain at the Royal Cornwall Hospital for 9 years.

Sandie and her husband are both ordained Elim Pentecostal Ministers and have led churches over the years together. They have three grown up children and three lovely granddaughters.

Sandie loves to cook Mediterranean healthy food having grown up close to France. She also really loves helicopters and has previously had a helicopter flying lesson. If you see Sandie hanging out the hospital window it will be because she is watching the air ambulance coming into land!

 Mim Johnson – Chaplaincy Administrator

Mim joined SaTH in September 2021 as the first secretary that the Chaplaincy team here has had. Mim works part-time and assists the team with the secretarial and administrative aspect of the services the team provide. Before moving back to Shrewsbury in July 2018, Mim studied and lived in Manchester for 10 years. She has two children who keep her busy. Mim and her husband are active members of Barnabas Community Church, a local church in Shrewsbury. Mim likes to complete jigsaw puzzles, watch medical documentaries, period dramas and cooking programmes.