Carolyn Merry
Director
Carolyn has been fascinated about the concept of peace since childhood and before joining Place for Hope, spent over 25 years working in the humanitarian, international development and peacebuilding sectors around the world, often in places of war, extreme poverty, repressive discrimination and exclusion of those most vulnerable. Her passion for peacemaking in its most holistic sense, is deeply rooted in her Christian faith and experiences around the world living and working beside people with different faiths, cultures, beliefs, worldviews and life experiences. Although Carolyn grew up in Australia, she settled back in her native UK in 2014 to focus on local peacemaking and conflict transformation and loves the 4 different seasons here (& really loves snow), cycling, and time spent with God and nature on long daily walks with her dog, Pace (Italian for peace).
A quote I love...
Peace, in fact, is not the absence of anything, but rather the ultimate affirmation of what can be. – Rabbi K. Cohen
Our Staff
Our Staff
Martha Hunt
Programme Lead (Training and Reconciliation)
For as long as she can remember, Martha has held a deep curiosity for the human condition. This curiosity has motivated her to seek out a career that seeks the flourishing of both individuals and communities, and has included work for charities & faith based organisations. A trained counsellor, she brings a depth of understanding to walking alongside people and the complexity of the healing and reconciliation process. Martha can often be found by the sea, in the sea, engrossed in any one of a number of creative projects, reading, or spending time with loved ones.
Something that gives me hope...
For me, hope is found in a multitude of places. I believe hope is an active choice that involves looking the darkness in the face and refusing to believe that it is telling the whole truth. I find hope in the turning of the seasons: the way spring always emerges after winter, the promise that death is not the end of the story. I find hope in humanity's capacity to love, our ability to heal and move towards growth and change. I find hope in connection. The connection I feel when I place my feet on the ground or in the sea, the connection I feel to others, our shared humanity having the potential to transcend differences in cultures, worldviews, & beliefs. I find hope in the fact that, despite the multitude of things that feel dark and hopeless, hope continues to exist.
Gill Thomas
Training Manager
Gill has always loved learning and this has taken her into the world of youth and community work, further education teaching, and learning and development work. She lives in Dorset with her husband and teenage son, where she is also an LLM (Licensed Lay Minister) in Salisbury Diocese. She is passionate social justice, seeing God in everyday life and popular culture, reading and travelling.
A quote I love...
Isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet? - LM Montgomery 'Anne of Green Gables'
Martina Hunt
Learning and Development Advisor
Martina has a passion for justice, peacemaking and non-violence and brings many years of experience of developing, delivering and evaluating training and development programmes in the international, charity and academic sectors, including most recently facilitating conflict transformation workshops with faith and community groups around the UK. Her role involves the development and delivery of Place for Hope’s set and tailored training programmes with faith communities, as well as supporting the training and development of our Practitioner team. Martina lives with her husband and teenage son and enjoys reading and walking, especially on the nearby hills.
A quote I love...
‘All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.’ Mother Julian of Norwich
Katie Bradley
Programme Manager (Methodist Way of Peace Programme)
Combining a passion for people with a head for strategy and process, Katie will develop a new reconciliation and mediation service for the Methodist Church and lead a team of practitioners in 3 pilot regions. She has extensive experience of project management within faith contexts and training in initial ministerial education as well as a background in academic theology. Katie loves being outdoors with her family and especially enjoys collecting rocks and shells with her daughter Ailsa for their games and craft projects!
A quote I love...
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them. Between my finger and thumb the squat pen rests. I’ll dig with it. – Digging, Seamus Heaney
Helen Boothroyd
Operations Manager
Helen’s passion for justice and peace has underpinned her development work for various ecumenical organisations over many years. Her role focuses on strategic planning, sustainability and fundraising. Helen is a member of the Methodist Church and lives near the sea in North Lancashire. She loves walking and birdwatching around Morecambe Bay, and at holiday times she and her husband can be found in their caravan anywhere in the UK!
A quote I love…
“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” - Martin Luther King (quoting Theodore Parker)
Natalie Barrett
Communications, Client & Volunteer Manager
Natalie looks after words, websites and people! She is the main point of contact for those reaching out for support or training and ensures that the work, ethos and message of Place for Hope is communicated in a clear, accessible way. Natalie lives by the sea with her children. She plays roller derby, runs and loves outdoor adventures that include a swim in a loch or an ocean!
A quote I love…
For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea. – E. E. Cummings
Related Articles
Reconciliation:
To Repair with God
An article by Nancy Adams, featured in ‘Inspires’ exploring the art of reconciliation and the dynamic of conflict.
Place for Hope: The Need for Reconcilers
An article by Hugh Donald, featured in ‘The Edge’, discussing the call to reconciliation and the journey of Place for Hope