Church and Society support care professions
The Board of Church and Society supported a weekend of events in Wrexham in autumn 2011 to help support people engaged in the helping and care professions.
It was run by Jonathan Skipper who is an Ordinand in the Diocese in his first year of training and study for Non Stipendiary Ministry. Jonathan is the Executive Director of Ffynnon PPD, a social enterprise and charity that provides training, networking, awareness and support to people engaged in these helping professions and to people who are interested in helping others and themselves.
Bob Balfour (Survivors West Yorkshire), Ken Clearwater, Mike Lew and Jonathan Skipper at the Ffynnon PPD event in Wrexham
The weekend in Wrexham included an awareness day for people interested in helping and supporting men who had been traumatised as boys and also a day workshop for men themselves. Mike Lew, a highly acclaimed specialist counsellor, author and presenter came all the way from the USA to speak during a ‘European Tour’ that was inspired by Ffynnon’s invite to North Wales. The conference had a full house of 250 people with a waiting list.
Jonathan said:
“We experienced a powerful, inspiring, moving and informative weekend with a difference. There was a lucrative bring and buy sale and raffle, an authentic ‘Hakka’ by Ken Clearwater who has single handedly taken on services for men in New Zealand and we ended with an adaptation of Jim Cotters ‘Prayer of a Trembling Heart’ (end of Psalm 11).
“We continue to get moving emails and letters from the people who came along telling us about the positive impact that the days had both personally and professionally. What a privilege.”
Jonathan set up Ffynnon PPD with his wife Susie about four years ago and now they run group, workshop and conference events like this one.
Jonathan added:
“Without the financial support of Church and Society we would have struggled to run this weekend.
“The vocational and often voluntary nature of the work that people do who come to Ffynnon, coupled with our aim to offer our services as affordably as possible, makes the financial side of things a serious and constant challenge for us.
“With all this in mind we say a big thank you to Bishop Gregory, to the Diocese and to all who support our endeavours. I also say thank you for all the prayers and support for me and for my family as my training and studies develop at the heart of all that I do.”