JOHN SMEATON, DIRECTOR OF SPUC: Joseph, SPUC's much-loved dispatch officer, retires after 24 years' service

Tuesday, 16 December 2014

Joseph, SPUC's much-loved dispatch officer, retires after 24 years' service

Joseph Chiang, SPUC's dispatch officer, retired yesterday after nearly 25 years' loyal service to unborn children. Much loved by the Society's staff and volunteers, we gathered to celebrate this great servant and friend of the most vulnerable members of the community. Joseph is pictured in the centre, wearing a crucifix, standing in front of our youngest and tallest member of staff, Isaac Spencer.

Liz Foody, SPUC's dispatch manager and Joseph's line manager throughout most of that time, paid a lovely tribute to Joseph. Here's part of what she said:

"Joseph was born and raised in Uganda. In 1968, just three years before Idi Amin came to power, his grandmother, father and mother and 8 brothers and sisters moved to Birmingham where they lived with an aunt and uncle and their four children.

"He joined SPUC's staff in 1990 and has worked for us ever since.

"Joseph has travelled the world on many pilgrimages. Many a time he would leave work, travel overnight on Friday night to visit a Holy Shrine travelling back on the Sunday night and go straight into work on Monday morning.

"Joseph was always a very good time-keeper: First in, in the mornings, always on the dot of 8:15.

"Joseph, on behalf SPUC, I thank you most sincerely and wish many you year of retirement to spend with your family in Birmingham and of course happy birthday from us all."

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About Me

I became involved in SPUC after graduating, when I established a branch in south London in 1974. I have worked full-time for SPUC for 42 years. I became chief executive of SPUC in the UK in 1996, having been general secretary since 1978. I was elected vice-president of International Right to Life Federation in 2005. At UN conferences in Cairo, Copenhagen, Beijing, Istanbul and Rome, I helped coordinate more than 150 pro-life/pro-family groups resulting in pro-life victories in Cairo, Istanbul and Rome. I was educated at Salesian College, London, before going to Oxford where I graduated in English Language and Literature. I qualified as a teacher, becoming head of English at a secondary school. I am married to Josephine. We have a grown-up family and we live in north London.