Carol Hawkey is one of JMECA’s newest Trustees and JEMT’s newest directors. Each director leads on one area of the organisation’s interests. Her background in property management has made her an ideal choice to take over the lead director role for the property brief, and she has lost no time in seeing for herself the properties for which JEMT is responsible.
Following a recent trip to Egypt, she has made a visit to all the properties in trust to JEMT in Cyprus, which is where I caught up with her.
The Cyprus property portfolio is considerable. It includes some land (in Famagusta and Kyrenia); Vicarages (in Nicosia, Limassol and Kyrenia); Churches and Church Halls (in Nicosia, Limassol, Kyrenia) and even a parade of shops in Larnaca. It also includes the architectural gem of St George's in the Forest, high in the Troodos Mountains. Carol was accompanied by the Secretary of JEMT (Cyprus), Mrs Anetta Stylianou, a fund of knowledge about the properties, and the history of their management during the last forty years. She also met with the Chair, Archdeacon Christopher Futcher, and parish representatives at each of the sites.
Like so many visitors to Cyprus she was struck by the warmth and friendliness of the Cypriots that she met. Again, like so many visitors she was taken aback by the evidence of the recent history of the Island and its division. She said that considering the numbers of the coexisting immigrant population from UK, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Israel, she felt there was a real and enviable sense of tolerance. She was fascinated by the glimpses she got of Orthodox culture and was able to visit some of the UNESCO painted churches on her trip to Troodos. She felt the importance that religion still has on the Island in many ways. It felt like a Holy Land.
She said that her enduring memories (apart from the weather which was fine and warm by British standards in November) would be of the food, and the kindness and generosity of all the people she met and who helped to make her trip worthwhile.
Asked how her visit would help her with her new brief, she said that she thought it was utterly essential, as she was now aware of the extent, character location and condition of the properties. Following a meeting with a lawyer in Kyrenia, she had a new understanding of the problems of acquiring title to property in the north of the Island. It had been good to meet the stakeholders, to understand their position and to get an appreciation of the character of the ministry across the Island. She had been able to assess more realistically specific contemporary issues and to see short and long term opportunities.
Carol was particularly fascinated by the Hermitage in Kyrenia, the home of the priest there. It has been renovated and upgraded recently after a long period without a resident priest. It has its own private chapel and olive grove. Not many Vicarages can boast that!
