Bishop Alan and the priests who assist him govern the church in our diocese. All the people of God in our diocese are called to fulfil their vocations and to collaborate and work together with our clergy. Each person has particular gifts to offer and everyone is encouraged to step forward to use them for the benefit of their Parish Partnership, Schools, Charities or our Diocese.

Here are a couple of ways that people can take up leadership roles.

Being a school governor or a trustee of a Multi Academy Trust is rewarding and an invaluable service to our schools. Our diocese now employs Debbi Botham to help schools and governors.

Diocesan Governance Development Officer
A school is unlikely to succeed without an effective governing board. Strong governance is essential to ensuring successful educational outcomes and although governors and trustees are volunteers they play a vital strategic role in holding school leaders to account through support, challenge and driving school improvement.
As an experienced and knowledgeable governance professional I recognise that governors’ responsibilities are wide-ranging, with governing boards facing new challenges on a regular basis, and can help with any aspect of governance from the every-day to the extraordinary. Approachable and professional I am willing to listen, in confidence if necessary, to support you in carrying out your role effectively.
Here are some of the governance support services we now provide:
• regular electronic communications to keep you up-to-date with the latest legislation, Diocesan news and good practice
• advice and support during working hours
• support with the recruitment of foundation governors
This new role will continue develop over the year. Governors will shortly be able to access comprehensive online resources through the Diocesan website and we are busy planning an annual programme of development to support effective governance in Catholic schools.