Three of the Best

The crosses are awarded annually for outstanding contributions to diocesan life and are presented by the Bishop of Salisbury, Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam Nicholas Holtam, to deserving recipients.

This year crosses were awarded to Perry Chadwyck-Healey, Liz Overthrow and Andrew Wells.

Perry Chadwyck-Healey has been has been Chair of the Diocesan Board of Patronage since 2013. The Board of Patronage exercises the right and duties of the patron to many of the parishes in the diocese. In addition to that oversight, Perry has served on the Diocesan Synod. More locally, Perry has held the office of churchwarden, been elected as a deanery synod representative and served as a Foundation Governor at Marden Vale C of E Primary Academy.

In addition to her work on Devizes Partnership of Churches and Devizes Churches Together and many years as secretary to that body, Liz Overthrow was, until her retirement at the end of 2017, Administrative Officer for Wiltshire Churches Together (WCT). In that role, she convened meetings of the Ecumenical Officers of the denominations represented on WCT and enabled the meetings of the senior leaders of the denominations, bringing Bishops, Chairs of Districts, Regional Ministers and Moderators together to discuss mission and ministry ecumenically across Wiltshire. Liz has also organised Ecumenical Quiet Days and Forums to discuss topics ranging from local mission and social action through to the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. She continues to worship at Devizes, St John and is the PCC Secretary there.

Andrew Wells is the Lead Chaplain in the Salisbury Law Courts where his inter-denominational and inter-faith chaplaincy team’s regular attendance is a calming and reassuring presence for people going through stressful proceedings. Andrew has been responsible for developing the chaplaincy from its early beginnings to the admired model that it is today with a core team of some 12 volunteers. His pioneering work in this area has meant that the team is called upon to advise other ecumenical bodies how they might go about establishing, funding and maintaining similar schemes themselves.