Contributors will be added throughout the year so worth checking back!
Pleanery Speakers
Rob Hopkins
Rob Hopkins is the co-founder of Transition Network and of Transition Town Totnes, and author of several books including ‘The Transition Handbook‘ and most recently, ‘From What Is to What If: unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want’. He is an Ashoka Fellow, has spoken at TED Global and at several TEDx events, and appears in the French film phenomenon ‘Demain’. He holds a PhD from the University of Plymouth as well as 2 Honoris Causas, and hosted 100 episodes of his podcast ‘From What If to What Next’. In November 2022 he was made an Honorary Citizen of Liège in Belgium. His collaborative music project with artist Mr Kit, ‘Field Recordings from the Future‘ will be released in May 2025, the same time as his new book ‘How to Fall in Love with the Future’. In his spare time, he draws and makes drypoint etchings. His website is robhopkins.net.
Hannah Malcolm
Hannah Malcolm is a priest in the Church of England, currently living and working in Newcastle. She regularly writes and speaks on the theological significance of climate change and ecological collapse, and especially human experiences of loss and grief. She is the editor of 'Words for a Dying World: Stories of Grief and Courage from the Global Church' and her PhD research will shortly be published under the title 'Christian Theology and Ecological Grief: Sorrow for the Earth'. She is an occasional contributor to Radio 4's infamous 'Thought for the Day', a board member of Operation Noah, and she sits on the Church of England's Environment Working Group.
John White
Revd John White is the founder of Hazelnut Community and the Hazelnut Network, helping churches create nature-based communities that bring together people, place, and faith. Based in Bristol, he leads a pioneering worshipping community centred around gardening, shared meals, ecological restoration, and spiritual formation.
Originally from the United States, John has spent nearly two decades in ministry across the UK and holds a Master's degree in Theology and Mission from Durham University. Through the Hazelnut Network, he supports churches and dioceses across the UK and beyond to develop eco communities that nurture biodiversity, build belonging, and cultivate hope.
John is a regular speaker on creation care, ecological discipleship, fresh expressions of church, and community building. He lives in Bristol with his wife Pippa, their two children, and an enthusiastic Cavapoo named Archie.
Workshop Contributors
Al Barrett
Bio:
Al Barrett has been CofE vicar of Hodge Hill (an urban neighbourhood in east Birmingham) since 2010, and engaged with his neighbours in a long-term, intergenerational of growing loving community, pursuing economic and racial justice, and deepening loving relationship with the earth. Al writes extensively in the fields of church & mission, race, class, gender and ecology, and has recently trained as a wild therapy practitioner.
Topic: Our Land: digging deep in search of common groundIn a polarising country, and an anxious church, when the question is so often 'what can we DO?', how can we instead slow down, dig deep, and unearth gifts that help us reclaim common ground as holy ground? A space to make connections between past, future and present; history, theology and earth; body, soul and soil.
Chad Chadwick
If the healing of our land and the healing of our bodies are inextricably connected, shouldn’t our soil and stomachs be at the heart of our faith? A conversation about gut health, soil health and discipleship. There will be a chance to sample some local cheeses and organic wine as part of the session.
Topic: Mud and GutsBio:
Rev'd Chad Chadwick is the Team Leader for Children and Youth Ministry in Peterborough Diocese. Outside of work, he is the East Midlands Conservation Advisor for A Rocha and a Pioneer Curate. Chad loves growing vegetables, vines and resting in nature.
Topic: Biblical prophetic imaginationCate Williams
Throughout the bible, individuals are inspired by God to speak of a different kind of world and call people into partnership with God for a better way of living. The vision includes everyone, is in harmony with wider creation and is held in God. People have always struggled to get this right, and the ancient wisdom of the bible can give us clues about what helps us move forwards. This session will draw on some key passages, particularly looking at Mary's words in the Magnificat, and the prophets of hope, who spoke of blessings and a future when disaster had happened. What might these have to offer us in our own times?
Bio:
Cate works part time for Hazelnut as network coordinator, and combines this with theological education work, primarily with Cuddesdon: Gloucester and Hereford. She is passionate about the role that churches have in offering something significant into the conversation/action as we engage with contemporary climate and nature concerns. Cate has previously worked as a vicar in York and Oxford Dioceses, and for the Diocese of Gloucester in Mission and Evangelism, and Environment roles. She has a PhD in pioneer ministry.
Bryony Davis
A chance to experience Reflective Storytelling, to explore how you could use it with different age groups in your community; and how you might develop stories of your own.
Topic: Wonderful StoriesBio:
Bryony is Hazelnut Bristol’s Community Chaplain and Associate Minister, and helps to grow a vegetables, spirituality, community life and connections with local people. Her past lives include being an occupational therapist, vicar and prison chaplain. She trained as a spiritual director, finds her spiritual home at Greenbelt Festival, enjoys gardening, mosaic making and pottery, and rescuing supermarket surplus doughnuts with her local community fridge. She loses sleep over climate breakdown and UK politics, and dreams of a saner, kinder world.
Tim Young & Regina Ebner
Pond and habitat creation
Topic: It's a ponderful lifeBio:
Regina and Tim are friends with a shared passion for caring for creation and empowering other to do the same. They encourage to come and see and then go and create your own ponderful habitats.
Topic: A Theology of Seed SharingAnupama Ranawana
This session will invite anyone involved in seed sharing/seed library activities to reflect on this activity as an extension of theology. We will think through concepts of community development, consciousness raising and mutual aid. Participants will be encouraged to finish the session with a zine or other creative product showcasing this theology.
Bio:
Anupama Ranawana is a Research Associate at Durham University