A double workshop day for anyone looking to receive expert input and learn from the experience of others. Whether you are working or volunteering in a church context, these workshops will inform and guide your actions in the year ahead.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
MORNING SESSION: Supporting families with additional needs
A free practical training session designed to help you better support families with children and young people who have additional needs, with a focus on both the individual and the family as a whole.
Led by Lynnette, Disability Champion at St Saviour’s Church, Sunbury, this session will cover:
- Why it’s essential to be more inclusive of children and young people with additional needs, and how this impacts the entire family.
- Key statistics and myths surrounding additional needs.
- Practical strategies to make your groups more inclusive, with time to discuss scenarios and their impact on the wider family.
- The importance of supporting parents and caregivers, including guidance on language to avoid when engaging with families.
- Further resources you and your team can use when working with families with additional needs.
AFTERNOON SESSION: Supporting young peoples’ mental health
Youth leaders are already supporting young people in their mental health, every day. This workshop will recognise that and encourage each participant to find ways to offer this support in ways that feel effective and faith-informed, and mindful of their safeguarding responsibilities.
This session will explore mental health as fundamental to our human experiences and not merely ‘a crisis moment’. It will introduce concepts of mental health and integrate Christian perspectives, drawing from the contexts and experiences of the participants, aiming to offer a vision for how a church community can play a key part to offer support safely and signpost when needed.
ABOUT OUR FACILITATORS
Lynnette Peckett – St Saviour’s, Sunbury
Lynnette is the Disability Champion at St Saviour’s Church, Sunbury and has been training teams around the diocese in how to support individuals with additional needs and their families. Lynnette is married to Alan and is a mother of two grown-up children, one of whom has autism and epilepsy. She lives with tinnitus and hearing loss and writes a monthly blog, Lynnette’s Life, covering topics such as additional needs, mental health, and childhood bereavement.
Corin Pilling – Sanctuary UK
Corin Pilling is an experienced trainer having facilitated a wide range of workshops on mental health related training since Sanctuary’s inception. Sanctuary Mental Ministries are a charity who produce resources and deliver training on mental health. With 14 years of research and resource design behind us, we exist to support the church in becoming more responsive to mental health challenges, recognising that the church is often seeking to support members of its community, yet needs appropriate resources to do so. Every participant is encouraged to access our material, which is free at source. Sanctuary’s material has been developed in collaboration with young people by those youth and social workers and mental health experts, with a Youth Series launched in January 2025.
Light refreshments will be provided but attendees are expected to bring their own lunch.