Songs of Praise film hospital chaplain

The BBC's Song of Praise production crew will be filming the work of hospital chaplain Pat Atkinson at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital on Friday 15 March.

Pat Atkinson is one of the hospital's chaplains and was also instrumental in setting up the Cooper Atkinson Trust which helps street children in India get an education and training. Songs of Praise is featuring Pat's work in India and contrasting that with her other role as a chaplain at the NHS's newest hospital.

The Cooper Atkinson Trust was founded after Neville Cooper and Pat Atkinson, of Brundall, visited India in 1990 as part of a YMCA delegation. Both were so shocked by what they found that they decided to take on the running of a boys' home and the work has continued ever since.

The trust has also established a home, Joseph House, in India for abandoned, handicapped and dying children which was initially funded by families from Brundall.

Pat, 54, was also assistant chaplain at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital between 1982 and 1989, and will be interviewed by presenter Pam Rhodes and filmed going about her work in the hospital chapel and on one of the wards.

Pat said: “I'm delighted the BBC is featuring the valuable work of hospital chaplains and, at the same time, contrasting how lucky we are in Norwich to have a fantastic new hospital with the serious problems faced by children in India. The one thing, however, that unites both the children's home in India and the hospital in Norwich is the dedication of staff in doing the very best they can for the people they care for.”