abuse,dioceses,ecumenical,finance,justice,pcc,safeguarding,social justice,stewardship,young people

About me
I live in Harrogate and worship at St Peter’s Church, in the town centre. I am married to Matt and we have five adult children and four grandchildren. For over 36 years I have worked in the public sector, mostly in the world of adult social care and safeguarding. For the last 12 years this has been at a national level, in policy and legislation development and implementation.
I was brought up in a rural parish and as an adult have worshipped in city and town churches, serving on PCC and deanery synod in three dioceses. I served as Chair of Governors for a Tadcaster primary school when my children were young, and am currently a trustee of Dementia Forward, a North Yorkshire charity, a role I have held since it began, 14 years ago.
I see my local church as a core part of the community where I live and I value the fact that the parish system means that everybody has access to a local church and its ministry, whether they profess its faith or not. I also enjoy opportunities to learn from ecumenical movements, such as the Iona Community and the Focolare Movement, both of which encourage unity and inclusion in our spiritual life. I have a BSc (Hons) degree from St Andrews University and an MBA from Leeds University.
Why I am standing
I believe now is a good time to consider offering my time to General Synod, having recently retired from full-time employment, meaning I have time available whilst I also have the energy to undertake the work involved. My national paid work has included collaborating with local councils and national bodies to understand what makes sense both operationally and strategically. Most importantly this has involved listening and talking to people that councils support, to understand their needs and what works for them, and drawing that understanding into the development work. I believe this experience will prove useful for supporting Synod with the development of legislation and guidance, which affect all parts of the Church of England.
I believe that work done at General Synod should be for the building up of the whole body. I recognise that General Synod can appear quite distant for many of the people who venture into our parish churches. For me, this means that any discussions and decisions Synod makes need to be informed by the experience of people in our parishes to ensure it is relevant for them. My local government work in policy and guidance development has taught me that we ignore the operational implications - the impact on real people - at our peril. I believe we need to keep listening to the voices of people affected by decisions. So, whilst, if elected, I would be contributing to national work, I would want to make sure I continue to listen to the voices of people where I come from, to make sure I don’t misrepresent them. This includes people from different types of parishes, rural, town and city, in different parts of the diocese and with different worshipping styles and traditions.
I recognise there are several issues that the church is grappling with. I note that polarised views often get airtime in national and church media and some of the coverage can cause great pain for people who hold differing views. I also understand that people have been deeply hurt by action taken in the name of the church in the past and that the church needs to earn people’s trust again, with integrity and authenticity. I believe it is important to enter into dialogue with each other, listening intently to different viewpoints, with the aim of understanding each other and finding common ground. I recognise that General Synod must make some difficult decisions and its work cannot therefore be taken lightly. It is important.
Why vote for me?
One of the policy areas I have led on at both a local and a national level is statutory adult safeguarding. I would welcome the opportunity to support improved understanding in this area, including how adult safeguarding varies from child safeguarding and how the church can work to achieve the best outcomes for all involved. I believe where possible, the person at risk should be supported to express what they want from any safeguarding action, rather than having other people’s views of what “safe” means imposed on them. I also believe, in the light of the Charity Commission’s criticisms of the Church of England’s work in this area, that it is essential to distinguish between charitable trustees’ duties to protect the wellbeing of all who have contact with our church, which is important, and the separate (but essential) need to safeguard those individuals who cannot protect themselves from abuse or neglect because of their age or their care and support needs.
Having observed sessions at General Synod and reviewed the papers and records of business and voting, I recognise that there is a wide range of topics to be covered, including some that are new to me. I thrive on learning about and digesting new topics and in a church context would welcome the opportunity to explore theological advice, where provided, in order to consider matters and engage in dialogue and debate from the perspective of God’s Kingdom.
If I am elected, in addition to my previous knowledge and expertise, I will bring to the role:
a willingness and ability to read, reflect, learn from and comment on complex draft documents, with attention to detail;
a recognition of the need to pray for insight, especially when decision-making is difficult;
a desire to hear and understand the perspectives of people who think differently from me or who come from different church traditions;
once informed by thorough and prayerful preparation, a willingness to contribute, where appropriate, to the formal debates on the issues facing the Synod;
a Christian faith that requires me to advocate for human rights and social justice.
Issues that matter to me:
Safeguarding – this includes children and young people and adults who are unable to protect themselves due to their care and support needs.
Unity – the importance of recognising and respecting traditions of others and seeking dialogue to understand each other’s point of view, “that all of them may be one” (John 17:21).
Inclusion – Seeking ways to embrace all people in the full life of the church – learning to recognise how we exclude people by our actions and attitudes and finding ways to challenge ourselves and make changes.
Governance, Finance and Resourcing – recognising that the church’s stewardship of its resources, including its money and its people, are fundamental to the thriving of the church. The wellbeing of clergy and lay leaders is a core part of this.
I believe I have skills and experience to offer to General Synod. I am prayerfully offering to stand as a lay member of General Synod for Leeds Diocese. Thank you for reading my address. If you believe that I can represent you, please consider giving me your first preference vote.
Please get in touch if you have any questions. Email: [email protected] Mob: 07774296097Please get in touch if you have any questions. Email: [email protected] Mob: 07774296097
Please get in touch if you have any questions. Email: [email protected] Mob: 07774296097
Please get in touch if you have any questions. Email: [email protected] Mob: 07774296097