We are delighted to announce the appointment of two new chaplains to Hinkley Point C, enhancing the pastoral support available at the UK’s largest construction site. The Lead and Night chaplains will join the team of chaplains who support workers at the site near Bridgwater. Chaplaincy provision at Hinkley is a partnership between EDF Energy and Somerset Churches Together, with the funding provided by EDF Energy.
Andrew Hillier is to be the Lead Chaplain of the multi-faith chaplaincy team at Hinkley. He will take up the position in November when Ewen Huffman, the first chaplain to be appointed to the site, steps back from the lead role after more than five years. Ewen will continue to work part-time on site. Alongside Andrew, Heather Culshaw has been appointed as Hinkley’s dedicated Night Chaplain strengthening the commitment to round-the-clock pastoral care for the workforce. Heather will start in September.
Speaking about the new appointments Simon Hill, Archdeacon of Taunton, said: "I am delighted that, with Hinkley Point C, we have been able to make two great appointments to serve all those working on site. Andrew and Heather bring different experience and wisdom and will both be real assets to the construction site."
“Under Ewen Huffman’s leadership the chaplaincy has developed enormously and its role is appreciated by the very large workforce. Ewen will continue to be involved. We look forward to the next chapter in the Hinkley chaplaincy as it branches out to include night time as well and supports its 12,000 workforce from more than 100 countries.”
Hinkley Point C’s Project Construction Director, Rob Jordan, said: “We’re very pleased to give a warm welcome to both Andrew and Heather. The team of chaplains are a much-valued asset to all of us who work here, helping to bring people together and to provide a listening ear. The welfare of our workers is at the heart of all that we strive to achieve on this amazing project.
"I’d also like to thank Ewen for all that he has contributed since starting out as the first salaried chaplain to a UK construction site back in 2020. Ewen has not only become a much loved and respected member of our family, but he has also grown his own family of chaplains to help reach out to all sections of the workforce. It’s a tribute to his dedication that he’s able to hand across the lead chaplaincy in such good order.”
Andrew is Chaplain of the Fleet and Archdeacon for the Royal Navy. After working as a nurse at Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton for more than ten years, Andrew felt a calling to ordained ministry and was ordained at Wells Cathedral in 2002. He served his curacy in Bath and Wells before joining the Royal Navy in 2005. His ministry has included tours in Afghanistan, an exchange with the US Navy, and, since 2021, oversight of more than 80 chaplains worldwide.
He currently works to the First Sea Lord, the Head of the Royal Navy. His role is to lead the chaplains who support the men and women of the Royal Navy who are scattered across the world, working at sea, deployed on ships, submarines, as well as those in naval bases and training establishments.
Speaking about his new role at Hinkley Point C, Andrew said, “It is a great privilege to be called to this role. Chaplaincy is about presence, prayer and service. It’s about walking the patch and getting to know people and being where they are. It’s a very incarnational ministry, which is one I’ve done for the last 20 years.
“What’s also really exciting is that EDF Energy and the team at Hinkley are really investing in growing and developing chaplaincy as a way of making appropriate provision for their workforce. I’m really excited about taking up this new role and taking what I have learned from the Navy, and applying that to Hinkley and seeing how we can develop it even further.”
The new post of Night Chaplain, ensures pastoral support is available across the 24-hour working pattern on site. As the new night chaplain, Heather will be present three nights a week, providing a consistent presence for those working through the night. It’s a role created in direct response to feedback from workers who said they valued pastoral support but found it harder to access outside of daytime hours.
Heather previously served as an Associate Chaplain on site alongside her role as a Salvation Army officer. She said, “I believe deeply in the power of chaplaincy to meet people where they are. Jesus didn’t wait in the temple for people to come to him, he went to them. That’s the heart of night chaplaincy too: showing up, listening, praying when asked, and reminding people they are seen and valued. It’s a joy to be returning to Hinkley in this way.”
Hinkley Point C, in Bridgwater, is one of Europe’s largest construction projects employing many people in physically demanding, shift-based roles. For many, the site is a temporary home. The chaplaincy team works closely with other wellbeing teams to support everyone working on site.