Mayor's Chaplain
The Mayor’s Chaplain is chosen by the Mayor and is an honorary title. The role of the Chaplain is to offer spiritual guidance to the Mayor as and when required and to assist in organising the civic service, other civic occasions and prayers or suitable thoughts for the occasion at council meetings. The Chaplain is usually seated near to the Mayor at these events.
The Mayor’s Chaplain can also act as a focal point for religious or Faith groups in the area and to advise the Mayor on religious and other matters. The residents of the area will not all be of the same belief and the Mayor’s Chaplain can explain the differences and similarities of belief and practice. Attending a religious or other service of another faith is the outward show that he or/ she is the Mayor of all the people and of the right to worship freely. It is therefore important that the support that the Chaplain gives to the Mayor helps the Mayor to understand and lead all sections of the community.
The Reverend Canon Linda Scard
After a career in the travel industry, firstly with British Airways which included 15 years in Paris, and then for a group of six cruise companies, Cunard and P&O Cruises amongst others - Linda retired early to explore her calling to ordained ministry.
The team rector invited her to join a newly-formed ministry team as Benefice Co-ordinator of the 12 churches in the villages of the team’s network. She took on the role in the hope of making herself useful and also to determine her own calling.
In September 2011, she began training at STETS theological college in Salisbury for part-time, self-supporting ministry.
Her home church is All Saints Odiham, where she has worshipped since 1997. Since ordination in June 2014, Linda has served the United Parish of Greywell, Mapledurwell, Nately Scures, Newham and Up Nately.
More recently, the team has been working on a national project to develop a new model for encouraging growth in rural parishes, and Linda is as likely to be found in Herriard or South Warnborough as in the United Parish. In February 2020 Linda was installed as an Honorary Canon of Winchester Cathedral.
Linda lives with her husband Lewis in North Warnborough, part of Odiham parish. Three stepdaughters have now flown the nest, are all married and the couple have seven beautiful grandchildren.
Linda enjoys being entertained by her grandchildren, and cooking for family and friends. She is an enthusiastic golfer, energetic walker and a season ticket holder for her local team, Aldershot Town, as well as being one of their two chaplains.
Please feel free to contact Linda at linda.scard@btinternet.com