Our wonderful Volunteer Ambassadors are an important and valued part of Kintsugi Hope, and we are so
grateful that they contribute in many vital ways.
Our Ambassadors are based all around the UK, and as we continue to grow and support churches in
responding to the increasing need for connection and relationship, they help us stay connected to our
local church partners and group leaders. They also help introduce the vision and mission of Kintsugi
Hope to churches and organisations in their community who may not yet have discovered how Kintsugi Hope
may be able to support them.
If you are a Group Leader and would be interested in finding out more about becoming a Volunteer
Ambassador, please email Lynette Brooks (lynette.brooks@kintsugihope.com)
and she can answer any questions and tell you more about joining us and supporting us in this way.
South West
Trudy Warren
Plymouth
About Trudy Warren
Trudy and is a wife, mother and grandmother, as well as a retired practice nurse. She has
been a Christian since age 26 and currently lives in Plymouth with her husband Steve – also
a Kintsugi Hope Ambassador: they attend Plymouth Christian Centre. Trudy spends her
retirement divided between time with family , ballroom and Latin dancing with her husband, a
bit of Zumba and managing a small Tropic skincare business. She also loves film, theatre and
books and travels abroad when she can.
Trudy became inspired to the role of Ambassador after seeing just how valuable the Kintsugi
course was to the people who attended the first course run at our church and recognizing
that there are likely many, many more individuals who would benefit hugely from it
Stephen Warren
Plymouth
About Stephen Warren
One of 5 boys from a supportive Plymouth family, Stephen encountered the love of God at the
age of 18, subsequently training in medicine & serving as a GP for many years. He loved
being a family doctor, training medical students & teaching the history of medicine. Before
retiring in 2020 he worked for the Royal Navy for nearly 3 years. He is married with 2
children & beloved grandchildren. He enjoys picture framing and baking bread. He has caught
the vision that Kintsugi Hope Wellbeing Groups are an honest, inspired & professional way of
helping so many with their mental health.
Mandy Crotty
Plymouth
About Mandy Crotty
Mandy is married with two adult children and has been attending Plymouth Christian Centre for
the past 20 years. She has been involved in Women’s Ministry, Prayer Ministry and leading
Community Groups.
Mandy was inspired by Patrick Regan’s honesty on his visit to Plymouth Christian Centre,
particularly when he said, “It’s OK not to be OK”, which stirred her interest in Kintsugi
Hope, motivating her to train to be a Wellbeing Group Leader and now taking it further by
taking on an Ambassador role.
Heidi Nicholson
Yeovil
About Heidi Nicholson
Heidi is a Bristol born South African who has mostly lived in Dorset, Somerset and Devon, as
well as sizeable recent stints in Swaziland and Pretoria.
She has two jobs - one within the local council as Special Needs advisor and one within a
local junior school as their Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo).
Heidi was part of the pilot Kintsugi Hope Well being groups pilot programme and has run face
to face groups since then from her church, Yeovil Community Church.
She loves nothing better than a good chat over coffee and is interested in all things mental
health and inclusion.
Jayne Impey
Winchcombe
About Jayne Impey
Jayne was born and brought up in West Somerset but now lives in Winchcombe, on the edge of
the North Cotswolds where she loves to walk as much as possible when not working either at
the local GP surgery, or in a beautiful garden that she would love to call her own.
Jayne has been a wellbeing group leader since 2020 together with husband Colin and friend
Ali. She longs to see God increasing the work of Kintsugi Hope in her area really impacting
peoples’ lives, bringing them hope and healing so they can, in turn, touch the lives of
others around them.
Andie Fowler
Bristol
About Andie Fowler
Andie joined Kintsugi Hope as an Ambassador having long attended her local church and has
been actively involved in various supportive community roles, including links with local
Social Prescribers.
Her passion is to help support people’s mental wellbeing through spirituality and community,
and believes communication and connection are fundamental to the healing process.
Andie is based in Southmead, Bristol, and enjoys drinking coffee and going to Christian music
events.
Amanda Ford
South West & Devon
About Amanda Ford
Amanda is a Science and Maths teacher, working in alternative provision with pupils across
the country. She attends a church in Exeter and works with Rediscover Church to run Kintsugi
groups online and in-person.
Amanda is passionate about reaching those who feel on the edge of church or their faith due
to the fog of physical or mental ill-health. She enjoys reading, exercising, Bible
journalling and being by the sea.
West Midlands
Dianne O'Leary
Kidderminster
About Dianne O'Leary
Having spent many years in Further Education as a Communication Support Worker for Deaf
people, Dianne now works alongside her husband in their local church, having numerous
pastoral responsibilities.
Dianne described herself as ‘tenacious person' until she experienced incredible brokenness,
weakness and vulnerability. With God's amazing love, mercy and grace and the wonderful
support of her family and friends she was restored and filled with hope.
Her desire is to share the hope she received with others.
Dianne has been married to William (hubby) for 40+ years. They have five grown up children
and eight grandchildren. Dianne loves photography and walking out with her husband and their
dog 'Freddie'.
South East
Belinda Grant
Milton Keynes
About Belinda Grant
After attending Cliff Bible College, I worked in the USA for three years as a children's
Nanny. Most of my work life was spent in Music and publishing.
I am married to Ian, we have two adult children and a dog. Together we co-lead a Missional
Community as part of our local Church.
I am passionate about helping people to know they are loved, accepted and valued for who they
are. I believe giving hope to people and supporting connection is essential for us all to
maintain good mental health and wellbeing'.
Jo Topley
Romsey
About Jo Topley
Jo lives in Romsey, near to Southampton with my husband, 3 children and dog, where they have
lived for 5 years, and before that lived in Tanzania for 10 years training rural health care
workers. Jo’s background is in General nursing: she was a ward sister in Chichester for
several years, and now works for Freedom Church running their Foodbank and helping in other
community projects. Jo has run 3 Wellbeing groups and each time have had the privilege of
journeying with people through the ups and downs of life. She is passionate about people
discovering who they are and realising their potential, and loves the moments in a group
setting when people learn to be ok and accept themselves for who they are.
Wales
Claire Hughes
Caerphilly
About Claire Hughes
Claire lives in Caerphilly, is married to Kelvin, has four wonderful children and co leads
Gateway Church Caerphilly. She loves being with people and biking, especially in the
mountains.
Claire used to be a computer programmer but now works for the church, looking to share God's
love with the community that she lives in. When she heard Patrick share his story and the
work of Kintsugi Hope she knew God was calling their church to get involved and has had the
privilege of running many courses and seeing people supported, loved and helped to step
forwards in life.
Northern Ireland
Sara Allen
Northern Ireland
About Sara Allen
Sara Allen has joined us as a Kintsugi Ambassador in Northern Ireland and has real passion to
connect with others and work together to enable people to find connection, hope and support
in the areas of mental health. In her “day job” she is responsible for creating and
communicating engaging, inspiring and informative content for all company messaging. She is
the culture champion, constantly researching and delivering innovative ways to ensure that
everyone on the team feels valued, connected and supported to be the best they can be. Sara
is excited to be working with the Kintsugi Hope team to imagine what is possible in Northern
Ireland.
East of England
Tony Britten
Felsted, Essex
About Tony Britten
Tony is a retired Police officer, a Police Chaplain, and a member of the Christian Police
Association in UK and overseas. He has been in the leadership team of a church in Braintree
for 20 years and leads a homeless charity in Braintree. Tony is passionate about showing
Jesus’ love to the poor and those on the edge of society. He has grown up children and six
grandchildren, enjoys tennis and sailing, and lives in Felsted with his wife.
Ian Beckett
Essex
About Ian Beckett
Ian is a dedicated mental health wellbeing advocate who draws on his lived experience to
support his community. Ian has worked in London for over 25 years and lives in his hometown
of Harlow with his wife and teenage daughter.
Ian is an Authorised Lay Preacher in the Church of England, and delights in the fact that
each day, he is able to discover something new about his faith.
Mike & Anne Lees
Chelmsford
About Mike & Anne Lees
Mike and Anne have been married since 1994 and have two sons. Mike is an engineer who loves
music and films and plays keyboards at church. Anne is a languages teacher, an avid reader
and loves visiting Germany.
Their passion is to see people freed from things that hold them back and to be the person God
made them to be. They are not afraid to be vulnerable and share their story of the
challenges they’ve walked through if this helps others.
Mike and Anne love getting into the outdoors as a means of wellbeing, and enjoy long (and
often muddy!) walks with their cocker spaniel.
Ruth French
Cambridge
Ruth French
Ruth has been a member of Arbury Community Church, Cambridge, for 40 years. Having left her
job as a primary school headteacher due to burnout, Ruth drew strength from the image of a
piece of kintsugi as she recovered.
She was delighted to discover and then introduce Kintsugi Hope courses to her church and see
the support and transformation they bring. Years of experience in networking as a
headteacher made her want to reach out further and spread the news about Kintsugi Hope, so
she is delighted to become an ambassador.
Pippa Roy-Chowdhury
Bishop Stortford
Pippa Roy-Chowdhury
Pippa loves being part of the Kintsugi Hope team at St James Church, where she, Jo, Debbie
and Sue have been delivering groups together since September 2021, supporting their
community and sharing God’s love. Pippa is a retired headteacher and has also led a team of
Family Support Workers. She is currently the coordinator of Bishops Stortford and
Sawbridgeworth Street Pastors.
Pippa lives in Bishops Stortford and is married to Chas. They have 4 grown up children and 5
grandchildren.
Debbie Hoy
Bishop Stortford
Debbie Hoy
Debbie is passionate about mental health and wellbeing, having experienced times of anxiety
and stress during her working life as a Primary School Headteacher. When the opportunity
arose to train as a Kintsugi Hope Group Leader, she knew it was something she should get
involved with. She has been leading termly groups since April 22, and loves sharing the work
of Kintsugi Hope and the impact it has had on her life and the lives of others.
Debbie is married with two adult stepchildren and three grandchildren. She is a member of St
James Thorley, in Bishop’s Stortford where she is Homegroup Coordinator and plays flute in
the worship group.
Jo Tracey
Bishop Stortford
Jo Tracey
Jo discovered Kintsugi Hope during the pandemic which inspired her to train to be a group
leader. She is passionate about sport and exercise, especially how it can be used as a tool
to boost our mental health.
Jo is a primary school teacher, cub leader and mum to three children. She has lived in
various places across the country but is now settled in Bishop’s Stortford where her husband
leads St James, Thorley.
Sue Sembhi
Bishop Stortford
Sue Sembhi
Sue has had a number of years experience supporting employee mental health and wellbeing in
the workplace and decided to become a Kintsugi group leader in 2022 to help promote wider
understanding and support in the local community. She loves seeing people experience
lightbulb moments when conversations in the Wellbeing Groups really resonate with them. This
is very rewarding and humbling.
Sue is an active member of St James Church, Thorley, is married with 3 adult children and
enjoys singing, listening to music and walking in the countryside.
East Midlands
Fiona Monk
Lincoln
About Fiona Monk
Fiona has taught in the East Midlands for over 25 years with particular interest in
children’s Personal, Social and Health Education. Recently, she decided to have a bit of a
career change and is now a peer support worker with a local charity. This involves
connecting people with the services and support to most effectively meet their needs. It is
her firm belief that a healthy mind is one of the best things we have to offer but
appreciates this can often feel like an enormous, ongoing, personal challenge. Through the
ups and downs of life, she has learnt the importance of being honest with yourself and the
immeasurable benefit of walking alongside others for mutual encouragement, support and
inspiration. This is why she is an avid admirer & supporter of the Kintsugi Hope
movement.