Life after retirement. What Les did next

Les Wileman was born in North Kensington, which in 1930 was an extremely deprived area. Les left school at 14, and although he had achieved a place at a Technical college, he was unable to go, due to the immediate need to find work.

His first job was with National Cash Registers (NCR), then in 1948 he entered the Army, serving in Singapore and Malaya. He returned home to work for NCR, where he met his wife, Ivy, at a company ball. They were married on 4 April 1953. In 1958 Les started a new job with Philips TV. Les also had a part-time job as an agent for the football pools, to enable them to buy a car. The part-time job thrived and Les left Philips in 1968.

He and Ivy had little interest in Christianity, until a neighbour took their boys to Sunday School. Their son said ‘Mum’ would have to take them when the neighbour went on holiday! Soon after Ivy became a Christian herself. One Sunday evening Ivy asked if the youth from church could come round for an evening meeting and when Les saw the youngsters enjoying themselves he began to think about Christianity himself.

Ivy asked if Les would go to crusade meetings with her and they went. On Wednesday Dick Saunders spoke and God began dropping thoughts into Les’s mind. This was the beginning of Les’s walk with Jesus. God began to speak to Les about the unchristian aspects of his role as a self-employed football pools agent. Together they decided this business had to close, which meant they would have no income.

Les took a job as an insurance salesman which he found difficult and thus began his ‘wilderness experience’. With little money, they relied on friends and miracles to keep them afloat. When Les was ready they were both baptized and discovered the reality of the Holy Spirit at a Downs Bible Week which led to them joining Sutton Christian Centre in 1982 Shortly after this Les had his first heart attack and spent three months at home. He dreamed about work in a church office and felt that he should leave insurance. This came about when he became Church Administrator for Sutton Christian Centre in 1984.

After retiring in 1996, Les asked the question ‘what do I do now?’ God gave him a vision of how the work of reaching older folk would grow. It became known as ROSE, ‘Reaching out to Seniors Everywhere’. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, this ministry has expanded considerably. Current events include: ‘Prime Time’, a varied programme of activities on Tuesday afternoons including a social afternoon, Communion, and lunch plus entertainment. Weekly coffee mornings with luscious cakes provide a relaxed atmosphere for outreach in the local community. One day events known as ‘Holidays at Home’ have a varied programme, lunch and afternoon tea.

Outreach also continues in 14 residential homes and sheltered accommodation, where the team visit and take services and also run a coffee morning. Looking back he sees God’s hand at work in his life over many years, from the Christian lady who offered to take their sons to Sunday School, through his retirement to the vision for the work of ROSE to the present day where God is still expanding that vision, as he continues to walk with God.