Wood Street councillor Victoria Ashworth says she will continue to serve her constituents ‘as usual’ despite taking on a job as a chaplain in a Greek port, reports Marco Marcelline
A Labour councillor will split her time between the Mediterranean Sea and Walthamstow after accepting a job as a chaplain in Greece.
Victoria Ashworth, who has served as Wood Street councillor since 2018, is set to be a port chaplain in Piraeus with Mission to Seafarers, a Christian organisation that supports people who work at sea.
A Waltham Forest Labour spokesperson told the Echo that the part-time and hybrid job “requires some business travel to Greece”, and she had decided to step down as a cabinet member for stronger communities as a result.
However, in news that has unsettled local residents, Ashworth will continue to represent her Wood Street ward until her term as a councillor ends in May 2026.
Ashworth earned £29,025 for her role as a cabinet member on top of her current councillor salary of £13,085.
The Waltham Forest Labour spokesperson explained: “[Ashworth] will be continuing her role as usual in the local ward, attending surgeries, ward meetings and council meetings and getting involved in local initiatives as she has done since election in 2018. We strongly encourage diverse experiences away from the town hall as we know this benefits the decision making made in the town hall.”
According to Ashworth’s published register of interests, this is her second part-time job; since September 2020 she has been an independent panel member on the judicial appointments commission.
The councillor’s LinkedIn profile mentions she is also a trustee at the Combined Military Services Museum, and is a squash coach in her spare time.
Ashworth has also expressed national political ambitions; she unsuccessfully stood as the Labour parliamentary candidate (PPC) for Epping Forest in 2019, and last year she failed to be selected as the Labour PPC for Birmingham Northfield.
In a speech made to constituents while campaigning to be the Labour PPC for Birmingham Northfield, Ashworth referred to being raised as a Catholic.
Though a Christian-based organisation, Mission to Seafarers describes itself as dedicated to supporting seafarers (people who work in ships) regardless of their religious background.
The charity operates at 200 ports across 50 countries, with Piraeus being its latest location.
According to Mission to Seafarers’ website, a port chaplain is expected to visit ships that call into the ports, or “make provision for their visitation”, as well as provide “spiritual support” to seafarers.
Port chaplains are supported by chaplaincy workers, who are more junior in comparison. A recent job advertisement for a part-time (20 hours a week) chaplaincy worker role in Southampton lists a pro-rata salary of “£35,000 to £40,000 per annum”.
The Mission to Seafarers said: “We can confirm that Victoria Ashworth has been appointed as The Mission to Seafarers’ new port chaplain in Piraeus, Greece. We look forward to her taking up this important role in supporting seafarer welfare in the port of Piraeus.”
No news is bad news
Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.
The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.
If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.
Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.
Monthly direct debit
Annual direct debit
£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.
More information on supporting us monthly or annually
More Information about donations
