Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset visits Hinkley Point C

Mohammed Sadiq and one of his Deputy Lieutenants, Jane Sedgman, met with the project’s chaplaincy team and workers from both the Christian and Muslim communities. 

Hinkley Point C is the first British construction site to have a salaried chaplain to host spiritual ceremonies before major tasks.

Alongside a group of a further seven volunteer chaplains, the team works to provide spiritual and pastoral support for the 10,000 people working to build the new nuclear power station. 

The Lord-Lieutenant and Deputy Lieutenant took a tour of the site prior to partaking in Friday prayers with workers from Muslim faiths, and meeting Christians involved in the project.

Joining them were representatives from Somerset Diverse Communities and Diversity Voice - organisations which work with local minority ethnic communities.

Both of the organisations are supported and funded by Hinkley Point C’s Community Fund.  

Ewen Huffman, Hinkley Point C’s Lead Chaplain said: “Our workforce includes a broad mix of people from different backgrounds, nationalities, beliefs, and religions – and we’re there for everyone when they need support.

"We are honoured that the King’s representative in Somerset and his Deputy Lieutenant have visited us to see how this works in practice.” 

Mohammed Saddiq, Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset said: "Before I came here today, I realised that this was one of the biggest construction projects in Europe, and I was aware of the huge benefit it is to the Somerset economy - and the wider economy of the region.

"But it's not until you get on site you get to truly appreciate the scale of it all.

"It was fascinating to hear about the progress of the project but also to learn of the efforts the company is making to care for their workforce and to cater for the needs of people from different faiths.

"In today's workforce that is so important."