WIFF members

Trustees

Catherine Lack (Chair) Catherine is a Christian priest (Anglican), and has been: university chaplain, vicar, Warden of a Retreat House and Cultural & Religious Affairs Manager at Yarls Wood Immigration Centre, among other things. Her interest in interfaith was sparked by talking with university students – when first a university chaplain there were excellent facilities for Christian students, a not-very-good facility for Muslims, and nothing for anybody of any other faith. This has changed!

One of her initiatives while university chaplain was to organise events where students from the different faith societies shared a platform to discuss issues. Latterly, she was Chair of the “Chain of Peace” – a group of faith communities joining together right across the city of Newcastle.

Since arriving in Worcestershire she has organised “Scriptural Reasoning” sessions, all online as yet, where people of different faiths look at each others’ scriptures. Regular participants include Bahai, Christian, Jewish & Muslim, and we look forward to others joining us.

Dr Yvonne Stollard Yvonne is a former chair of WIFF and a member of Birmingham Progressive Synagogue. She is a retired primary school teacher and has lived in Worcestershire for over 25 years.

It was whilst living in Kent in the 1980s that Yvonne became interested in interfaith dialogue through being introduced to the Council of Christians and Jews (CCJ). On moving to the Midlands she served as Honorary Secretary of the Birmingham CCJ for eight years. She has been a lead teacher with the ‘Ladywood Interfaith Education Project’. This a partnership between St John’s Church (Ladywood), Birmingham Progressive Synagogue, the Buddhist Pagoda and Shirelands Road Mosque. The project provides experiential teaching on the four religions for primary school children. She is also on the steering committee of ‘Faith Encounter’, a project with an interfaith dimension for training people as faith guides for their places of worship in Birmingham.
Currently, she is the Jewish representative on Worcestershire’s Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE).
Yvonne is passionate about encouraging people to find out about people of different faiths

Geoff Stollard (Treasurer) Geoff is a semi-retired building consultant currently working with several medical charities and hospitals and an ex-church chorister in Worcestershire. His interest in interfaith was initiated when working with the Council of Churches over 50 years ago. He has taken on the role of treasurer and hopes to see interfaith expand throughout the county.

Paul Mahony  Paul went to school in Worcester and then travelled extensively. He is a member of the Bahai community of Worcestershire. Paul is now retired having worked for many years as an occupational therapist both for the NHS and social services. Taking part in Interfaith comes easily to me as the vision of Interfaith is so close to Bahai teachings; Bahaullah writes ‘…..consort with the followers of all religions in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship……..’ Since joining WIFF Paul has taken part in the ’Scriptural Reasoning’ sessions. ‘

Sir Nicholas Lechmere, DL (WIFF Trustee) details to follow

Associate Members

Revd. Canon Owain Bell 
Owain is an Anglican priest living in retirement with his wife, Kim, in Kempsey. He is a former chair of WIFF. For forty one years he served as a parish priest in the North East and in the Worcester diocese.
A transforming event in his life was a friendship with a Muslim Afghan refugee who came to live at his Worcester Rectory in the winter of 1979. As a result of their friendship Owain’s eyes were opened to the treasures of Islam. This was the first of many meetings and friendships with people of different Faiths all of which have profoundly enriched his life. ” This” he writes ” is what inspires me to want to help others to reach out in a similar way to discover the riches and blessings that lie beyond mere tolerance”.

Revd. Mary Austin  (St Andrew’s Methodist Church) 
Mary is the former secretary of WIFF & a retired Methodist minister living near Worcester having served most recently for 10 years in Kidderminster. Interfaith has interested me since way back in the late 80s and early 90s when helping my husband out on a market stall brought me into contact with other stall holders of different faiths. This resulted in wonderful interfaith dialogue when not interrupted by customers! Friendships developed and we enjoyed attending a Hindu and Sikh wedding. A few years later I developed a friendship with a Jewish young Mum who I met. We enjoyed amazing conversations when we frequently agreed on far more than disagreed! It was also a delight to be welcomed into their home for Shabbat, Seder and to the synagogue for their daughter’s Bat mitzvah. Over the years I have met many of other faiths and am thrilled to be involved in the Interfaith Forum in retirement.

Revd. Sheila Simmonds
Sheila was ordained as an Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Counsellor in July 2014, following a two-year intensive course with the One Spirit Interfaith Foundation in London. Her background is a 40-year working life in hospitals and health care settings including general practice, as a medical secretary and receptionist, and she is also a trained and qualified aromatherapist and Reiki practitioner. Sheila is currently serving as a volunteer chaplain at both Malvern Community Hospital and at St Michael’s Hospice in Bartestree, Hereford, working with the terminally ill and dying. She previously spent eight years as a chaplain at St Richard’s Hospice in Worcester. The next step is to qualify as a Soul Midwife. Sheila’s background is Christian, especially Celtic and Mystic Christianity, but with a deep interest in other faiths and traditions, including earth traditions.
A specialist subject is the history, culture and spirituality of Australian Aborigines, and she has recently returned from another visit to Australia which included further indigenous exploration. Sheila has four grown-up sons and five small grandchildren.

Jnañamati Williams – Jnañamati ordained as a priest in the Pure Land Buddhist tradition in 2013. He has lived in Worcester for the last 6 years & is associated with the Amida Order, an international Buddhist community. He is an HCPC (state registered) art psychotherapist and supervisor working in Hereford and Bristol. He currently maintains the website for WIFF.