Farewell and thank you

Pictured left to right: Euan Fulton, Tracey McIntyre, Bénédicte Scholefield, Sharon Edwards and Drew Dyson. Missing from picture: Patrick Small and Will Garde.

Iona Community staff who are moving on

As 2024 came to a close and as 2025 begins, we say farewell and thank you to several island staff who completed their residential stay on Iona. With many new faces joining us soon, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt thanks to those staff who are moving on:

• Drew Dyson, Camas Maintenance Worker
  Drew has been a Camas regular for years, most recently living and working with us as part of the Camas team. Not only will his maintenance skills be missed, but his dab hand in the kitchen will be a great loss, as will his sea shanties!
• Euan Fulton, Abbey Musician
  Euan has brought a steady and delightful presence to the role of Abbey Musician. His improvisation on the piano at the end of services has been a particular joy, bringing smiles as we move from worship to work.
• Patrick Small, Programme Manager
  Patrick’s gift in leading sessions with guests and in particular opening our eyes to the story of Columba through his regular workshop have been a glorious feature of his years with us, along with his passion for our Youth Festival.
• Sharon Edwards, Deputy Programme Manager
  Sharon’s sunny presence, glorious singing, ability to switch into yoga poses at a moments notice, and rigorous organisational ability among much else have brought true depth to the programme team.
• Tracey McIntyre, Abbey Housekeeper
  Tracey has been a gracious, organised presence in the Resident Team, welcoming all of our guests at the Abbey week by week, keeping us on track with our task teams, no task too much for her. Her mugs are the things of legend!
• Will Garde, Deputy Housekeeper
  Will has been a joyful deputy to Tracey these last years, stepping up in her absence and ensuring that all our guests feel at ease in the Abbey. Will’s crafting and colourful hats at the jetty will be much missed!

We are also saying farewell to Bénédicte Scholefield, Iona Operations Manager. Bénédicte has been a permanent member of staff with the Iona Community for very nearly eight years now, starting off as Business Director in the Glasgow office before moving up to Iona with her family just before lockdown to become our first Operations Manager there. Bénédicte has led us through many transitions, not least the leadership changes in 2018/19, and then as a crucial and wise member of the Iona Abbey Appeal Team which raised over £3m to refurbish Iona Abbey. Bénédicte also played a key role in guiding us through lockdown and the unexpected additional year of Abbey closure, followed quickly by the work of packing up the MacLeod Centre. In all of this, she has remained calm, been available to staff and guests, she has danced and sang and led worship in the Abbey, and been a passionate and dedicated advocate for the Iona Community at all times. In addition, Bénédicte has become the matrix guru, bringing her immaculate attention to detail to staffing, finance, buildings, volunteers, planning and deployment of resources with a dexterity of which we are all envious. We’ll miss you Bénédicte! We wish you well as you heads off to an exciting new opportunity on the mainland.

You can also read this tribute to Neil Paynter as he retires as editor of our magazine: the Coracle.

Thank you to all staff, who are moving on, for your hard work, dedication, and the many ways you’ve enriched our community. You will be greatly missed, and we wish you all the best in your next chapters!