Members of the Launde Abbey team

Tim Blewett (Warden)

Beryl Wood (Deputy Warden) and Paula Hollingworth (who chairs the Spirituality Core Group for Leicestershire) relaxing in the gardens

Angela Ashwin

Liz Babbs

Beryl Wood joined the Launde Abbey community in July 2006 having worked as a parish priest in Norfolk. She has also worked as a hospital chaplain and is an Honorary Canon of Norwich Cathedral. Her main role at Launde other than for deputizing for the Warden is to lead retreats and offer spiritual direction to guests.

Some Retreat Givers at Launde

Margaret Silf has led retreats at Launde for the last three years. She is an ecumenical lay Christian, trained in accompanying others on prayer and retreat, and the author of a number of books on the spiritual journey for 21st century pilgrims, both within and beyond the boundaries of formal religion. Formerly employed in the computer industry, she now devotes her time to writing and to facilitating retreats, workshops and days of reflection. She has one adult daughter, and lives in Cheshire.

John Bell has led a number of retreats at Launde with the next one being the Advent Retreat in 2009 (7–11 Dec 09). Prior to ordination, he worked in voluntary capacities in London and Amsterdam. His professional ministry began with a post in youth work in Glasgow. During a subsequent period of youth ministry under the aegis of the Iona Community, John and his colleague, Graham Maule, were drawn to concentrate on the areas of congregational song, liturgy and the sharing of scripture.

With his colleagues, John has produced collections of original songs, compilations of music from the World Church, and books of worship resources and sermons. John works throughout Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand for churches of all denominations.

He is an occasional broadcaster on BBC radio and television and is currently convener of the working group producing a new hymn book for the Church of Scotland.

Angela Ashwin travels widely as a speaker on spirituality and as a retreat-leader. She has written several books about prayer in everyday life, including Heaven in Ordinary and Patterns not Padlocks. She has also compiled prayer-anthologies, including The Book of a Thousand Prayers, and written many books of reflections, including The Wine Danced, which explores ways in which Eucharistic themes can permeate everyday life and prayer. Her forthcoming book, Follow the Fool (due out in 2009), is about the wisdom of foolishness in Christianity and other contexts. She is married to an Anglican priest; lives in Southwell in Nottinghamshire, and has three grown up children.

Liz Babbs is a mission partner based at St Nic’s Church Nottingham and travels internationally as an author, performer, broadcaster, spiritual director, creative prayer consultant and spoken word worship artist. She is author of 9 books and 4 CDs including the award-winning Into God’s Presence — Listening to God through Prayer and Meditation (Zondervan 2005) and Immerse — her meditation and worship album for Kingsway Music. Liz advises the church on how to engage with our spiritual culture and has led meditations at major Christian conferences, as well as on radio and TV and at the Edinburgh Fringe.