benefice,countryside,disability,eco church,environment,equality,foodbank,gender identity,inclusive,inclusive church,mental health,messy church,mission,neurodiversity,pcc,scripture,sexuality,stewardship,young people

Election Address

Ms Helen Clarkson Fieldsend

St Edmundsbury and Ipswich

House of Laity

Full Election Address Text

GENERAL SYNOD 2026 ELECTION ADDRESS
Helen Clarkson-Fieldsend

Proposer: Karen Pringle
Seconder: Peter Robinson

Dear electors,
lam standing in the 2026 General Synod Laity elections and hope to be a voice for rural and coastal
parishes. | would welcome your first-choice vote and am happy to discuss my candidacy at any time.

Why am | standing?

To lift the rural voice

| have seen so many challenges we face: Our local church has had two interregnums over the past 10
years, our Benefice has been remade, and | see the strain on our clergy and their families—especially
those in rural and coastal settings—and the need to encourage more to join our faith journey.

To continue to make progress on care of the environment

My work with A Rocha and Eco Church has highlighted how much of a difference we can make through
grassroots efforts to engage young people, to address the growing climate crisis that affects our
Suffolk farms, and to foster good stewardship of our churchyards.

To share the strategic and organisational lessons I’ve learned and to learn from the
experience of others

The needs of our rural and coastal parishes grow greater every day. | hope to be able to put my skills,
my experience, and my devotion to good use as | continue to serve my local church but also bring that
voice to the national level as we seek to strengthen the Church of England from the grassroots up - in
each home, in each village and town, and in all of our Counties.

What do! believe?

Being a Christian is a glorious life-long journey

Throughout my life—both inside and outside the church—I have sought to make a difference and
improve the lives of others. | have sometimes failed and hopefully have learned from my mistakes but
am sure | will make new ones! As Maya Angelou said when someone announced to her that they were
a Christian, her one-word answer was, “Already?”

There’s always hope

Just like the Church of England, as Christians we must always strive to be better, work towards
bringing the peace and joy we have found to others, listen to those who society has ignored or
abandoned, forgive and ask for forgiveness, and never give up. | have hope that the Church can
continue to “do more to reach more” and that a truly inclusive church will bring so many benefits to
our churches and our communities at large and is what the Scripture commands of us all.

Acceptance is our greatest strength

lam committed to equality for everyone—at all levels and roles within the church—regardless of
disability, economic power, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, learning disability, mental health,
neurodiversity, or sexuality. My commitment began at 5 years old when | was called “Blackie” at
primary school. That lesson in exclusion has never left me and has underpinned my faith and my
fight for equality and fairness for all ever since, while always listening to and respecting those
who may have a different perspective.

A bit about me: | am a “child of the world”: Born in Gravesend, Kent, raised in Pinner, Middlesex, and
then Upstate New York. Worked in New York, San Francisco, Milan and London. Now happily
ensconced in the Suffolk countryside with my husband, two teenage boys and two rescue cats after a
30-year career in marketing and advertising.

Service to the Local Community

Chair of Governors for Bealings School
Former Trustee and Deputy Chair and now weekly volunteer for Homestart in Suffolk
Host of annual village FIND foodbank fundraiser
Member of the Suffolk Community Foundation’s Women and Girls Fund Panel
Member of Suffolk Mind Forward

Service in Suffolk’s Rural Parishes

All Saints Church, Little Bealings St. Mary’s Church, Playford Church
®@ Served for 7 years as Secretary @ Have served for the past 4 years as a
®@ Assisted with Messy Church and PCC member
organised Stir Up Sunday ®@ Organise the Annual Thomas Clarkson
®@ instituted Eco Church programme Service and other events to expand the
and awarded Silver level mission of the Church
@ Spearheaded the award-winning ®@ Deanery Synod representative
Bealings Community Hub and Café ®@ Instituted Eco Church programme and

awarded Bronze level

| thank you for taking the time to read my address and look forward to continuing to serve in

whatever capacity God grants me.

Terms used in address

benefice,countryside,disability,eco church,environment,equality,foodbank,gender identity,inclusive,inclusive church,mental health,messy church,mission,neurodiversity,pcc,scripture,sexuality,stewardship,young people

Theological Tradition Terms

inclusive,inclusive church

Theological Tradition Sentences

I have hope that the Church can continue to “do more to reach more” and that a truly inclusive church will bring so many benefits to our churches and our communities at large and is what the Scripture commands of us all.

Sexuality, Marriage & LLF/PLF Terms

gender identity,sexuality

Sexuality, Marriage & LLF/PLF Sentences

Safeguarding Terms

Safeguarding Sentences

Evangelism, Mission & Church Growth Terms

messy church,mission

Evangelism, Mission & Church Growth Sentences

All Saints Church, Little Bealings St. Mary’s Church, Playford Church ®@ Served for 7 years as Secretary @ Have served for the past 4 years as a ®@ Assisted with Messy Church and PCC member organised Stir Up Sunday ®@ Organise the Annual Thomas Clarkson ®@ instituted Eco Church programme Service and other events to expand the and awarded Silver level mission of the Church @ Spearheaded the award-winning ®@ Deanery Synod representative Bealings Community Hub and Café ®@ Instituted Eco Church programme and

Doctrine & Formularies Terms

scripture

Doctrine & Formularies Sentences

Society, Justice & Inclusion Terms

countryside,disability,eco church,environment,equality,foodbank,mental health,neurodiversity

Society, Justice & Inclusion Sentences

To continue to make progress on care of the environment ------ My work with A Rocha and Eco Church has highlighted how much of a difference we can make through grassroots efforts to engage young people, to address the growing climate crisis that affects our Suffolk farms, and to foster good stewardship of our churchyards. ------ lam committed to equality for everyone—at all levels and roles within the church—regardless of disability, economic power, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality. ------ That lesson in exclusion has never left me and has underpinned my faith and my fight for equality and fairness for all ever since, while always listening to and respecting those who may have a different perspective. ------ Now happily ensconced in the Suffolk countryside with my husband, two teenage boys and two rescue cats after a 30-year career in marketing and advertising. ------ - Host of annual village FIND foodbank fundraiser ------ All Saints Church, Little Bealings St. Mary’s Church, Playford Church ®@ Served for 7 years as Secretary @ Have served for the past 4 years as a ®@ Assisted with Messy Church and PCC member organised Stir Up Sunday ®@ Organise the Annual Thomas Clarkson ®@ instituted Eco Church programme Service and other events to expand the and awarded Silver level mission of the Church @ Spearheaded the award-winning ®@ Deanery Synod representative Bealings Community Hub and Café ®@ Instituted Eco Church programme and

Clergy Concerns Terms

Clergy Concerns Sentences

Church Structure & Policy Terms

benefice,pcc,stewardship

Church Structures & Policy Sentences

I have seen so many challenges we face: Our local church has had two interregnums over the past 10 years, our Benefice has been remade, and I see the strain on our clergy and their families—especially those in rural and coastal settings—and the need to encourage more to join our faith journey. ------ My work with A Rocha and Eco Church has highlighted how much of a difference we can make through grassroots efforts to engage young people, to address the growing climate crisis that affects our Suffolk farms, and to foster good stewardship of our churchyards. ------ All Saints Church, Little Bealings St. Mary’s Church, Playford Church ®@ Served for 7 years as Secretary @ Have served for the past 4 years as a ®@ Assisted with Messy Church and PCC member organised Stir Up Sunday ®@ Organise the Annual Thomas Clarkson ®@ instituted Eco Church programme Service and other events to expand the and awarded Silver level mission of the Church @ Spearheaded the award-winning ®@ Deanery Synod representative Bealings Community Hub and Café ®@ Instituted Eco Church programme and

Other Churches & Other Faiths Terms

Other Churches & Other Faiths Sentences

Youth & Next Generation Terms

young people

Youth & Next Generation Sentences

My work with A Rocha and Eco Church has highlighted how much of a difference we can make through grassroots efforts to engage young people, to address the growing climate crisis that affects our Suffolk farms, and to foster good stewardship of our churchyards.