Profile

Richard Atkinson has been Bishop of Bedford since 2012. He leads the Church of England in Bedfordshire and Luton, and consequently knows the county well. Within the Diocese of St Albans, he chairs the Diocesan Board of Education with its 137 schools and is Vice-Chair of the Diocesan Multi Academy Trust.

He chairs the Church of England committee overseeing work with those who are disabled and deaf.

Whilst Archdeacon of Leicester, Richard developed a particular interest in inter faith relations. He is a past Co-Chair of the Inter Faith Network UK and Trustee of Near Neighbours, a church led, government funded initiative that promotes understanding and action within diverse communities.

Richard has been a Church Commissioner and served on General Synod for twenty-one years. He was deputy chair of Places for People, a large Social Housing group; independent chair of both a New Deal for Employment company (for which he received an OBE in 2002 for 'Services to Employment in Rotherham') and a New Deal for Communities programme. He was a member of the Carnegie Commission on the 'Future of Civil Society'.

Richard is chair of OneYMCA, and of the Luton Roma Trust. He is a trustee of the Just Finance Foundation. He is married to Helen who is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Head of School of Aerospace, Transport Systems and Manufacturing at Cranfield University.