Continuing Professional Development for Faith Leaders and Workers

Project team

Chris Taylor
Chris joined NIACE in March 2001. Since then she has worked on a wide range of projects for NIACE. Most recently, Chris led the ESOL citizenship project, funded by the Home Office, to develop the language learning materials for citizenship. The pack, Citizenship materials for ESOL learners has been widely distributed throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Over 3,000 English language teachers have been trained to use the materials. NIACE published her book, ESOL and Citizenship: a teachers’ guide in February 2007.

She has extensive experience in the teaching and managing of basic skills and ESOL programmes. Chris has worked in Bangladesh, Uganda, the Caribbean, USA, Malta and the Soviet Union. She lived in Nigeria for two years, teaching English in a secondary school in Gboko, Benue State.

Derek Owens-Rawle
Derek is a senior lecturer in Applied Social Sciences at DeMontfort University with a specific interest in young people and Black Minority Ethnic communities. He has worked extensively in the BME voluntary sector and has provided research, training and consultancy on a local, regional and national level. In addition to his substantive post Derek is currently the chair of a youth organisation supporting young people and a consultant to the Family Welfare Association.

Virginia Alethea Thomas
Virginia is a qualified trainer and has over 20 years childcare social work experience with both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire County Council. Virginia is also a Youth Pastor at New Testament Church of God, Nottingham and is currently undertaking her ministerial studies. In 2006 she successfully completed MA in Pentecostal & Charismatic Studies at The University of Birmingham.

Virginia is a co-founder of BCTCP – Black-led Churches Together in Child Protection in Nottingham. She aims to develop this initiative further in order to support churches, both locally and nationally, towards developing child protection policies and designing bespoke training and seminars in child protection/safeguarding and child development.

Sheikh Ismail, Imam Mohammad ISMAIL
Mohammad is a schools inspector accredited as an additional inspector working within Cambridge Education RISP/NISP and an AMSUK inspector of Section 48 IFS . He is the Khateeb (Lead Imam) for Birmingham Central Mosque, Secretary of the United Mosque Council in South Yorkshire, Secretary Gene ral of the Association of Muslim Scholars in Britain and the Co-ordinator of the UK Islamic Council in Sheffield. Mohammad is also a member of the Muslim Council of Britain ( MCB) and vice-chair of the Imam & Mosque committee.

Pete Hobson
Pete Hobson is a Church of England career vicar, having worked for over 30 years in inner-city parishes in Manchester, London and (since 2000) Leicester. He has particular interests in the areas of inter-faith work, and in making structures fit for purpose - in the case of the church, fit for the purpose of serving the Kingdom of God. At present he is director of the Leicester diocese 'Shaped by God' project, and also a trustee of the St Philip's Centre for Study and Engagement in a Multi-Faith Society, as well as a member of the church's General Synod. He is married, with five children, and is the happy holder of a Leicester Tigers season ticket (just behind the posts in the A&L stand).

Lisa Brown
Lisa is a Development Officer at NIACE, contributing to the work on CPD for Faith Leaders and Workers. Her focus is the development of the qualification.  Lisa has eleven years experience in education.  She taught in the secondary sector before moving to the Basic Skills Agency, where she developed her knowledge of education for community development.  Her M.A. is in Oriental and African Religious Studies.

Annette Williamson

Annette is a qualified NVQ Assessor in office administration and IT and attained a teaching certificate in the same disciplines. Her recent experience has been with local media and industry.

She spent over 15 years in incentive travel and conferences working in various locations in the UK, America, Australia, France, Italy and Spain.