Tower and Town, July 2020

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Janneke Blokland

After six memorable years Marlborough bids farewell to Reverend Doctor Janneke Blokland. Janneke’s career path to date has been quite remarkable. A native of the Netherlands, she studied for a degree and then a doctorate in Physics at Nijmegen University before going on to further research in Berlin. While there she was attracted to the Anglican Church and felt called to full time priesthood in the Church of England. She studied theology at Jesus College Cambridge before coming to Marlborough as a curate in 2014. She was ordained and in 2015 priested at Salisbury Cathedral. Her curacy ended in 2017 but she continued in Marlborough, taking the post of Assistant Chaplain at the College.

Janneke applied her exceptional energy, organisational ability and brain power to a wide range of activities in Church and the wider community. She set up the "Get There" summer club for Marlborough’s 5-12 year olds and supported “Devotion”, the young people's drop-in centre at Christchurch. She accompanied a summer group of teenagers to the Gambia and became a trustee for the Marlborough Brandt Group. As a governor and later as Chair she had total commitment to the successful amalgamation of St. Peter's and St. Mary's schools into Marlborough St Mary’s. As a trustee of Marlborough Area Poverty Action Group she organised help for struggling families especially at Christmas.

Her "Beer and Carols" gatherings were a wonderful way of bringing the whole community together in a church setting. Beer also featured in her “Pub Theology” sessions which provided a forum for the discussion of a wide range of controversial issues.

As a native of the Netherlands it is no surprise that she is a keen cyclist and she’s often seen riding around the town and the countryside.

Teaching, chaplaincy and assistant-house mistress experience at Marlborough College have equipped her well for her new role at Hurstpierpoint College, an Anglican co-educational school near Brighton. Later this year she takes up the role of Chaplain there including some teaching commitments and no doubt also getting involved in the local community.

All three of our churches have benefitted from her presiding, preaching and care. She was involved in ecumenical matters, led a memorable retreat at St. Non's and served as Mayor's Chaplain for a year. She also liaised with and supported churches in the Marlborough and Pewsey Deaneries helping to cover interregna and maternity gaps.

There are so many special occasions to remember. The celebration of the Eucharist at St. Mary's after her priesting was a truly joyful occasion and was followed by a delightful barbecue in the beautiful setting of St. George's church. Another memorable shared meal followed her farewell service at St Mary’s in 2017.

Janneke, we’ll miss you so much, thank you for all you have done for us, your love and concern shown in so many ways. We wish you all the best for your new appointment.

Ann Yates