On Thursday, 25th March, Oakhall Church hosted 'An Evening with ex-Tory cabinet member, Jonathan Aitken' at The ARC in Caterham-on-the-Hill.  The event was one of a number of events organised by the Church as part of their programme of activities for the community in the run-up to Easter.  The large audience packed the spacious soft-play area of The ARC, which, with its subdued lighting showing off the stunning ultra-violet paintwork of its artwork, provided a delightful venue.  Also in the line-up for the evening were musicians, Nick Beston and Hugh Ockenden who performed superb jazz music while the audience enjoyed coffee and cakes provided by members of Oakhall Church. 

In 1999 Jonathan Aitken was found guilty of perjury and perverting the course of justice and given an eighteen month prison sentence. His talk gave an entertaining insight into life in Belmarsh prison for a mature, disgraced politician incarcerated alongside other criminals with an average age of just 23.  Having explored Christianity through the Alpha course prior to his sentencing, Jonathan recounted how his faith formed the basis of a strong bond between him and his fellow inmates, many of whom he remains in touch with to this day. 

Following his release from prison after completing seven months of an 18 month sentence, Jonathan studied Christian theology at Wycliffe Hall in Oxford.  In November 2007 he took charge of a task force on prison reform within Iain Duncan-Smith's Centre for Social Justice to help formulate Conservative policy. 

For more information about Oakhall Church and their events over the Easter period, call Andy Jack  on 01883 332892 or visit www.oakhallchurch.org.uk