Vicar preparing for tearful goodbye to Hampton ahead of retirement after 10 years

A Peterborough vicar has said there will be plenty of tears when she retires from her role after nearly 10 years.

Rev Sylvia Kinder took over as vicar at Christ the Servant King Church in Hampton in 2012, and has seen the church – and township – grow dramatically in her time.

But on Sunday, May 15 she take her last service at the church, before retiring with husband David. David is the chaplain at Littlehey Prison near Huntingdon.

Rev Kinder said there would be plenty of tears when she left the church for the final time.

She said: “When I arrived, the church was meeting at the Hampton Vale Primary School hall, and there were 36 adult members on the church.

"We now have 194 adults on the church membership, and we opened our new church building in 2014. We have already outgrown that!

"We have two mobile classrooms on land at the back that will be developed.

"The church is all about the community here, with our community coffee shop and meeting rooms, where all sorts of groups attend.

"The area has grown so much over the years. When I first came here there was nothing on the other side of the A16 – now we have Hampton Gardens and Hampton Lakes.

"There was already a great community spirit. It is a great place to live in. If I wasn’t a vicar we would stay here.”

While Rev Kinder will be staying in Cambridgeshire when she retires, she said she will miss the community of Hampton.

She said: “I have absolutely loved it here. It has been all about the relationships we have made, and the various people I’ve met through all circumstances.

"In this job, I have the privilege of walking alongside people throughout the highs and lows of life.

"We have a good relationship with all the schools and the head teachers in Hampton.”

Rev Kinder’s final service will be on May 15, and she said; “I have already had a lot people people asking if I can do weddings and funerals in the future.

"I know there will be a lot of tears when I go, just from myself. But the congregation do understand and support our decision.

"We have four young grandchildren, who we haven’t seen enough of, so we will be spending time seeing them, and I am hoping to play a lot of golf.

"We are also looking forward to becoming a member of a new church.”

Rev Kinder’s contribution to Hampton was recognised by North West Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara, who paid tribute to her work.

He said: “It has been an absolute joy working with Sylvia and David over the years.

"As well as their fantastic community work, they leave behind a wonderful legacy in the church they worked so hard to build.

"They raised the funds, saw through the construction work and took the church from strength to strength, with so many more people now being part of the church congregation and community.

"I am proud that the church's first ever booking was taken by me for one of my surgeries.

"I will miss them enormously, and wish them a very long and happy retirement."