Heather was born in Newport, south east Wales and grew up in the local Methodist circuit there, whose people and preachers remain an influence still. She read English at Oxford (where the ecumenical dimension of the college chapel and the huge diversity of worship in the city opened up her view of how we understand church and ministry.)

While candidating for the ministry she was a lay worker in the Hereford circuit for two years. Heather trained for ministry at Wesley House Cambridge and then studied new testament theology at Heidelberg University (and shared in leading worship at the “English Church” there.)

Returning to circuit life she was a minister and university chaplain in the Oxford circuit, then served in the Rugby circuit, and then as Superintendent of the Chislehurst Circuit, and it was during this appointment that developing an odd limp led, by a circuitous route, to a diagnosis of Parkinson’ s Disease. In a sense since then, there has been a whole re-learning that comes with progressive acquired disability.

Following an appointment in the South East Berks circuit Heather is now living in the Thames Valley Circuit and is theological consultant on discipleship and ministry . This scarily grand title can cover many areas – teaching on theology and practice regarding disability , writing liturgy and meditative material, working with others on transforming sacred space, listening to ministerial colleagues who are testing out ideas ...and like many other people with impairments, learning from the queues at clinics, the roller coaster of medical side effects and the extended and often unsung networks that enable us to be.

Hobbies include genealogy , and planning the garden, largely for others to do and being the agent of the chamber music trio of ministers, Parsons’Noyse.