My
name is Richard Brooker. Married to Tina, a Methodist Minister, we have two grown-up children and live currently live in Solihull, West Midlands.
I am a Vicar in the Church of England, currently serving my final year of Curacy in Birmingham Diocese. Before joining the clergy I worked as a member of Police Staff, serving in Warwickshire and West Midland Forces as a Communications Manager and then as a Regional Manager for the Police National Digital Team, overseen by Sussex PCC. I have had an extensive career in Corporate Communications, predominantly in Local Government, with a few years in the charity sector.
I served as a chaplain for two and-a-half years as part of West Midlands Police before transferring my service to Warwickshire, the force I served the majority of my Staff time with. We will be re-locating to Warwickshire as part of my wife’s Ministry role next year.
Chaplaincy is a role I am firmly committed to, with a strong belief in supporting those who serve, both on the front-line and in back office functions. I feel that chaplaincy has a key role in supporting staff welfare and wellbeing, providing a safe environment to let off steam, decompress and sometimes to just be listened to.
I had the privilege in playing a lead role in providing chaplaincy support to the West Midlands Officers who attended the fatality when school children became trapped under ice, in 2022. This was a deeply moving experience. I was able to support not just Police staff, but also members of the public, school teachers and firefighters who were caught up in the tragic incident.
In my faith based work I am a long-standing Trustee for the April97 Trust, part of the World Prayer Centre, Birmingham. I am also a Board member for The Malawi Task Group (Birmingham Diocese) where I have served for about 7 years. These roles involve both strategic direction and vision, combined with spiritual input and practical action, such as co-ordinating our annual container shipment of donations for schools in Malawi. I have a strong commitment to chaplaincy and feel called to continue to serve in this capacity alongside my priestly ministry. This was confirmed last summer when I was part of the huge number of volunteers at the Commonwealth Games, providing Chaplaincy support to the Bowls arena in Leamington Spa.
I would welcome the opportunity to serve at a national level, working alongside colleagues to ensure the furtherance and strong development of chaplaincy across the policing family.
