Richard Cheetham

Who is Richard Cheetham?

Richard Ian Cheetham is the current Anglican Area Bishop of Kingston-upon-Thames. He was educated at Kingston Grammar School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. After five years as a science teacher and two as an investment analyst he was ordained in 1987. He began his career as curate at Holy Cross, Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne and from 1990 until 1999 he was vicar of St Augustine of Canterbury's Church, Luton and additionally Rural Dean of the area. From 1999 to 2002 he was Archdeacon of St Albans.

In 1999 Bishop Richard completed his PhD as an external student of King's College London. His thesis was entitled, 'The nature and status of religious belief in contemporary Britain as reflected by acts of collective worship in a sample of Luton schools since the 1988 Education Reform Act'. A book, Collective Worship: issues and opportunities, followed in 2004. He became an Honorary Research Fellow of King's College London in 2011. Bishop Richard is also a keen sportsman.

Bishop Richard Cheetham is Chair of the Southwark Diocesan Board of Education, Anglican President of the Christian Muslim Forum, Patron of the Fircroft Trust, the Curriculum for Cohesion and Kingston Bereavement Service. Until 2012 he was a member of the Roehampton University Council. He is President of the YMCA London South West who have a large multi-function building in Surbiton and became Chair of the British Regional Committee of St. George's College, Jerusalem, in May 2013.