SCORE has provided chaplaincy at several major sports events including the 1996 European Football Championships, the 1999 World Cross-Country Championships, the 2000 World Rugby League Finals, and the 2001 World Amateur Boxing Championships. However, in 2002 SCORE took a giant step forward as it organised & coordinated the entirety of the multi-faith Chaplaincy Provision at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games.

We identified, trained and deployed almost 40 chaplains into 4 distinct teams working in the Athletes. Village, the Games venues, the public areas around the main stadia, and the city centre. The Games administrators became very supportive & appreciative of the sensitive, professional nature of the chaplaincy under SCORE's leadership. Our chaplains were truly involved with many people, offering spiritual support and pastoral care to athletes, administrators, spectators, media representatives, volunteers and others associated with the Games. As a result of that experience, Rev. John Boyers, Score's National Director, served as a consultant to ATHOC over the religious services provisions for the Athens 2004 Olympics & Paralympic Games, and as an actual chaplain at both events. We are encouraged that our Score material describing the principles and practices of Major Event Chaplaincy was used by ATHOC as the basis for their RSC provisions, and that Score's training material for major sports event chaplaincy was used to prepare many of the chaplains for their responsibilities."

For a synopsis of his activities in Athens, please see the Manchester United write-up below.

One of Score's newest staff appointees, the Rev Mary Vickers, also served on the chaplaincy team at the 2004 Athens Olympics. If you would like to read more about her involvement with the Olympics, CLICK HERE.

BBC South Today's Caroline Richardson meets Peter and Mary Vickers