The Toolstation Northern Counties East Football League appointed its first ever league chaplain in 2019 as part of a drive to provide further help and support to those who need it.Baz Gascoyne has considerable experience of working within a sporting environment as club chaplain at Sky Bet Championship football side Sheffield Wednesday and Rugby League outfit Sheffield Eagles.
He is also director of South Yorkshire Chaplaincy & Listening Service, a charity supporting organisations with chaplaincy and listening services (
www.sycls.co.uk).
His role is to provide a listening service and advice to anyone who requires it whether it be a player, management, team committee member or anyone else involved in the NCEL.
Although based in Sheffield, Baz is providing a network of support for those living in other parts of the NCEL region.
Baz was a telephone exchange technician with British Telecom before going to Cliff Bible College in Carver in 1981.
In 1985, he joined Sheffield YMCA as their Outreach Worker working with schools, youth groups and churches, before joining the staff team at the King's Centre church in 1992.
For the past two decades, he has been senior leader of The Eccles, and an ordained leader within the Pioneer Network - a UK-based denomination of churches and ministries, and members of Churches Together.
Baz has an MA in Missiological Studies (University of Sheffield & Cliff College) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care (Gloucester University).
In recent years, he enjoyed taking part in the Common Purpose leadership development programme in Sheffield.
Baz, who is an approved Trainer and Professional Volunteer Listener with Acorn Christian Healing Foundation, said: "I am delighted and excited to be working with NCEL in providing support, and look forward to developing relationships with individual clubs within the league and creating a team of NCEL chaplains."
Anyone wanting any advice and support is asked to contact Baz on 07971 399514 or by email at
chaplainbaz@gmail.com.