Hackney People
Father Rob Wickham
The first thing that strikes you about Father Rob Wickham, 45th Rector of Hackney, is his unbounded enthusiasm for the borough and its people.
Coming to Hackney in 2007, says Fr Rob, was a calling. He believes that St John’s has a central role to play in the changes that are taking place in the borough – and to make sure that everyone has a voice.
This belief is central to his work. He sees the Church as having a key part to play in communicating the needs of the community to others in more secular authorities, such as the Council. He said: “We have a very good relationship with the Council, and part of that is us acting as a reflective voice for the wide range of people that use St John’s.”
He is also active in other areas of community life, sitting on the governing bodies of St John & St James CoE Primary School and Hackney Free and Parochial CoE Secondary School, and chairing the borough’s Town Centre Partnership.
This commitment has its roots in his experiences while working as Pastoral Assistant in Newcastle in 1993, especially his involvement with the Cedarwood Centre on the Meadowell estate, at a time when unemployment there was running at 80 per cent.
“I had never seen such absolute poverty,” he revealed. However, Fr Rob drew inspiration from the ‘extraordinary’ work of the local church and its stance on the wrongs of social inequality.
After his ordination in 1998, Fr Rob spent three years in Willesden, followed by six years as Team Vicar in the parish of Old St Pancras where he acted as a liaison between the church and the Kings Cross regeneration project.
St-John-at-Hackney is now two years into a five-year strategic plan to transform the physical building, as well as the way that it is used by the community. The aim is to make the church more accessible, offering office space to local businesses, conserving the church’s historic monuments and contributing to the development of key areas of Hackney life.
When asked about the role of St John’s in such a diverse borough, Fr Rob said: “St John’s shares Hackney’s diversity and from that diversity has built a real community.
“If you come here on a Sunday you see the whole borough reflected in the congregation.”
He also sees St John’s as being key to the ‘story’ of the borough, with much of its rich heritage reflected in the Church and its grounds. “I am so proud that we can offer hospitality and bring people together, for example welcoming 900 people to listen to the wonderful Hackney Singers,” he said.
The father-of-two works an average of 12 to 14 hours a day, yet Fr Rob has still found the time to study for a Masters degree on the interplay between politics and faith-based organisations.
Speaking to Fr Rob, you get a real sense that he sees the church as an integral part of society and an institution that has a real and valid part to play in shaping a fairer society.
Curriculum vitae
- 1972 Born in Surrey
- 1993 Spends a year on the Meadowell estate, Newcastle
- 1998 Ordained after three years of training at Ridley Hall, Cambridge
- 1998-2001 Serves Title Curacy at Shrine Parish of Our Lady, Willesden
- 2001-2007 Team Vicar, Old St Pancras
- 2007 Inducted as Rector of Hackney
More information
For more information call: 020 8985 5374; email: admin@stjohnathackney.org.uk; or visit: www.stjohnathackney.org.uk
Page updated: 15 Jun 2010
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