On Sunday 28 April the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Royal Devon) were honoured to host this year’s Lord Mayor of Exeter’s Civic Service at the chaplaincy centre at the RD&E (Wonford) hospital.

The current Lord Mayor of Exeter is Councillor Kevin Mitchell, a skin cancer/sarcoma nurse specialist at the Royal Devon, and the Royal Devon chaplaincy team have acted as chaplain to the lord mayor during his 12-month term.

Kevin Mitchell, Lord Mayor said: “It has been a real privilege to have Simon and the chaplaincy team as my chaplaincy over the last year and Sunday was the icing on the cake, when we held my civic service at the RD&E. It was great to have so many guests attend from across the county and to also make history by holding the service in the RD&E for the first time”

The event was attended by Royal Devon representatives Dame Shan Morgan, Chair and Richard Westlake, Governor alongside local and county councillors, aldermen and freeman, civic heads from around the county, his majesty’s lord lieutenant of Devon, the high sheriff of Devon and other civic dignitaries.

Shan Morgan, Royal Devon Chair said of the event: “The Trust were honoured to be able to host this event for the first time at the RD&E (Wonford) hospital. Kevin has worked for the Trust for over 20 years delivering compassionate care to our patients and we were delighted to be able to support him in his role as lord mayor of Exeter.”

Simon Harrison, Royal Devon chaplain said: “It was wonderful to be able to host so many civic leaders here in the hospital. Our chaplaincy team has very much enjoyed acting as chaplain to the lord mayor for the past year and this event marked the culmination. Having an opportunity to mark a moment such as this is quite special.”