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Dear Friends and Colleagues of the Forum
I wanted to let you know that in response to a request by our Chair Amrick I have agreed to take over as acting Chair because of his many commitments working with Faith and civic communities in the West Midlands and internationality.
Our apologies for not being in touch before but the Forum had some difficulties in moving on from the pandemic. But we are clear of the important role and purpose of the Forum. In a world beset by so many challenges - cost of living, climate change and so much more, it is so important that we help people in the process of finding their 'spiritual life force' to confront these challenges.
The legacy of Covid has not gone away and the need to search for and find a sense of the meaning of life has never been greater. Even if in some Faith Communities participation has dropped, the need for spiritual well being has never been greater.
We have an exciting programme planned for the rest of the year. In the Summer we will have a session on Spirituality and Suicide led by Gemma Andrews who is the suicide prevention lead for Essex County Council and the founder of the Southend Essex and Thurrock Suicide Prevention Partnership. Do join us for ths important and timely session - joining instructions to follow.
In the Autumn we will address the important issue of Spirituality and Long Covid - an issue which is still present as many of you will be aware. Do put
this date in your diary.
December marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Peter Gilbert, one of the founders and instigators of the Forum. We will be marking his legacy with reflections from Trustees of the Forum on how Peter's contribution continues to inspire us and many others in taking forward the Spirituality and Mental Health agenda.
With thanks for your continued support
Ben Bano