by Emma McMillan
“…some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Luke 13:30)
The Chaplaincy stand, at the recent International Island Games 2025, held in Orkney, welcomed all – first and last, competitors and spectators, visitors, and locals!
Kirkwall Council of Churches (KCC) began brainstorming ideas, well in advance of the event, and everyone involved agreed to create a welcoming space for rest, chat, questions, and prayers.
KCC is an affiliation of Kirkwall churches who meet to get to know and understand each other better. Members currently include St Olaf’s Scottish Episcopal Church, Orkney Islands Church of Scotland’s Kirkwall East and St Magnus Cathedral, The United Reformed Church – known locally as the Peedie Kirk, Kirkwall Baptist Church, Our Lady and St Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, the Salvation Army, Life Church Orkney, and the Quakers in Scotland. Also taking part was South Ronaldsay and Burray, Orkney Islands Church of Scotland, and the Bahá’í Community.
The Chaplaincy stand was ideally situated, in a large marquee, between the racetrack and the Pickaquoy Centre, where many of the competitions took place, and, handily, right next to the refreshment village. The nearby commercial food and drink outlets meant we were unable to offer refreshments; however a bowl of sweeties was permitted, which proved popular with both kids and adults!
The marquee was a real hub for community engagement, enabling visitors to interact with local initiatives and organisations and showcasing charities, including Women’s Aid, the mental health charity SAMH, and the RNLI, as well as crafters, and local businesses.
With all the athletes, spectators, visitors, and locals milling about, in scorching weather, there was a tremendous buzz about the place. Our chaplaincy involved sharing prayers, differing ideas about faith, giving away Bibles and books (along with the sweeties, fans, and bottles of water). There was also the opportunity to try sitting in a genuine woven Orkney chair – and have your picture taken, which many folk did, including the Games’ Mascot Ola the Orca!
The chat was tremendous, from locals who stopped by to say hello, to athletes needing a seat to recover from trying the period-pain simulator, at the Women’s Aid stand next to us! All were truly welcome!
As keen supporters of Eco-Congregation Scotland, the ecumenical environmental charity addressing climate change and conservation, we commissioned plantable cards, containing wildflower seeds. The cards were printed with a conversation-opener question on one side, and a QR code link on the back. The link led to the Island Games Chaplaincy website, specially created for the event, by Joel Chaney, one of the volunteers.
The marquee was staffed, between 10am and 8pm, each day of the Games. A rota of KCC volunteers, working in pairs, over four-hour shifts, was coordinated by Rev Julia Meason and Emma McMillan, a Church of Scotland candidate in training for ministry, on a placement in Orkney.
Despite not being an islander herself, Emma said “I feel privileged to take part in this momentous event. The Island Games showcase a festival of sport, and enable host islanders the exciting, and rare opportunity to watch live international sport on their home turf. And the Games’ athletes truly perform to exceptional standards. I’ve read that some of the world’s finest sportsmen and women began their careers as Island Games competitors, before going on to become elite international champions and competitors in the Olympics – proof that small communities can achieve great things.”