In 2008, a Report on Conflict in the Church was submitted to the Church of Scotland’s General Assembly which highlighted concerning levels of conflict within the Church. As a result, an ecumenical conference was held in Aviemore in 2009 to explore how to establish and embed additional support for faith groups and congregations facing change and/or conflict.

Thanks to the generous support of the Guild of the Church of Scotland, the Place for Hope Project was launched. The original objectives included:

• “Establish a live network of people throughout Scotland committed to the work of peacemaking and reconciliation (provide the churches of Scotland with a team of Trained Mediators who will be available to help congregations deal more effectively with disputes that might otherwise result in the breakdown of congregational life).
• Found a place recognized as a Centre where resources in mediation and reconciliation can be accessed (establish an ecumenical partnership which will allow the Church to claim its own ground as a peacemaker and healer in a broken world)
• Initiate a church-wide realisation of the importance of building communities of peace and reconciliation (reach beyond addressing the church’s internal conflicts and help congregations become peacemakers in the communities they serve)”

In 2010, a team of ‘mediators’ was identified and trained to support congregations navigate conflict and difference. They were supported with supervision and ongoing training. Much of this work was helping groups and congregations “in crisis”. In 2015, with the financial support of the Ministries Council of the Church of Scotland, Place for Hope was established as an independent charity in Scotland. We have been able to expand our Team as well as the scope of our work. This has enabled the work of Place for Hope to expand and be a resource for churches and faith communities in Scotland. Place for Hope continues to support groups who are in a place of crisis and we now also offer learning programmes to equip people with the skills for navigating conflict and difference. We continue to build on the original objectives to enable every place of worship to be a place of hope. Visit the ‘about us’ pages to learn more of our vision, values and the services we currently offer.