This January, The Priory Rooms’ Business Development Manager Beth Sadler met with Peacemakers’ new team member Phil Bence to find out about his role and the team’s 2015 plans.

Phil-Bence.jpg Peacemakers is one of four projects created by the Central England Quakers charity which The Priory Rooms’ profits help support. The team work in partnerships with local schools to help build more peaceful school communities by delivering training to adults and children in skills such as peer mediation and conflict resolution.

They recently re-located office to the heart of Birmingham city centre on Bull Street, next door to The Priory Rooms. With Phil also joining the team, it was an ideal time for Beth to find out more about how The Priory Rooms’ customers are supporting the brilliant work of Peacemakers!

Beth; Hi Phil, congratulations on your new role at Peacemakers! So what were you doing before you joined the Peacemakers team?

Phil; I began working in the field of Restorative Approaches in 1999, volunteering with the Youth Offending Team in Stockport. This led to working on community repair projects and working with victims of crime. I then worked for 6 years on a pilot project in secondary schools in Bolton through the Local Authority with Bolton Mediation with the aims to reduce exclusions and conflict.

This began the journey and skills development into the field of Restorative Approaches in Educational Settings. A relationship with Belinda Hopkins and Transforming Conflict began as I moved from practitioner to trainer within the field of Restorative Approaches. As a trainer I have had the opportunity to work with professionals in a variety of settings from schools, youth offending teams, family workers and within the looked after sector exploring how to develop the working ethos of the restorative approach.

Having also spent a couple of years as a Family Group Conference Coordinator in South Warwickshire and working with families with extreme social engagement difficulties in Staffordshire, my journey brought me to The West Midlands Quaker Peace Education Project (known as Peacemakers in schools) in January 2015. This was not my first engagement with The Peacemakers team as we met some 3 years previous whilst I was facilitating workshops at a national conference with Transforming Conflict.

Beth; What made you apply to join Peacemakers? What interested you about their projects?

Phil; Having been out of the school setting for a couple of years working with families, I was enthused and excited at the prospect to apply for a post to support The Peacemakers Whole School Approach as my passion for building healthy relationships and communities is within schools. The core values of The Peacemakers and Quakers fits with my professional and personal life, so this was an opportunity I was compelled to apply for and with good grace and fortune I feel privileged to now be a part of the team.

Beth; Tell us about your role at Peacemakers? What projects will you be leading?

Phil; Having been newly appointed as a Peace Education Trainer with The Whole School Approach project, the role is to support and develop an ethos, skills and processes within schools to promote peace, inclusion, community and strong healthy relationships. To support and train young people and schools staff with the skills to build, maintain and repair relationships through times of peace and times of conflict.

Beth; What are your future aims with Peacemakers? And what plans do Peacemakers have for the next few years?

Phil; In the immediate future we are looking to bring on-board another 3 schools in the West Midlands and to work intensively with them over a 2 year period developing systems, skills and culture. We are excited about the prospect of moving into secondary schools as to date our relationship had been with primary education. I say excited as this is an opportunity to further develop and support the skills and core personal values young people have gained during their time in primary education and take them on their journey in to secondary education and life itself.

Beth and everyone at The Priory Rooms wish Phil every success in his new role with Peacemakers! We will keep you updated with their projects throughout the year.

Information about Peacemakers and the other charities The Priory Rooms support is available on the website http://www.theprioryrooms.co.uk/page/about-us/our-profits.

You can contact Phil Bence directly at the Peacemakers office on 0121 2364796.