The REC's Chair from 1st September is John Keast OBE. John is taking the helm at a time of considerable change for RE and for education generally and his breadth of experience and expertise will be invaluable. His first priority will be the implementation of the REC's Strategy Plan - for details see www.religiouseducationcouncil.org
After many years of service, Brian Gates will step down from
his role as Chair of the RE Council at the end of August. He has dedicated himself tirelessly to the task
of increasing public understanding of RE, especially amongst politicians,
of improving the teaching of RE by highlighting the need for comprehensive and
high quality training for all involved with the subject, and of building
relations with faith and belief groups to ensure their support for our
subject. All who have worked with Brian
over the years will wish him well in his academic and other enterprises in the
future and will be grateful to him for his unstinting commitment to achieving
wider recognition of RE's value.
The new Chair will be John Keast
OBE. John's experience and vision will be particularly welcome at this testing
time for RE and the REC and its member organisations look forward to working
with him.
At the REC's AGM in May, the REC's new Chair was elected unopposed. John Keast will take over as Chair from 1st September when Brian Gates steps
down at the end of August. Members expressed their tremendous gratitude to Brian for his untiring
and selfless commitment
to RE during some very challenging times.
He was presented with an album full of statements of appreciation by
many organisations and individuals who had worked with him over the years.
Brian will be very hard to replace, but members felt that if anybody was
capable of following adequately in his footsteps, John Keast was that person,
and those present were very pleased that he was willing to take on the arduous
role of Chair.
Celebrating
RE month saw a wealth of activities all over England and Wales, starting
with high profile launch events in London and Cardiff. The value of RE was
celebrated in schools and colleges, faith and belief community venues,
libraries, galleries and museums and involved children and young people but
also teachers and trainees, SACRE members, parents and many others with an
interest in RE.The website gives access
to the April newsletter with information about some of these but the
comprehensive Legacy Album will be available online from early May and will
illustrate the richness and range of what has been achieved – see www.celebratingre.org
Welcome to this issue of the REC
newsletter. If you have information about projects, conferences, reports
or developments you'd like included in the next one please email it to me by 21st March. It should be in the format of a heading, two or three sentences
giving the basics and a website or email address where readers can obtain
fuller details.
Best wishes,
Sarah Smalley, Executive Support Officer, RE Council of England and
Wales
Welcome to this issue of the REC newsletter. If you have
information about projects, conferences, reports or developments you'd like
included in the next one please email it to me by 21st November. It should be in the format of a heading, two or three sentences
giving the basics and a website or email address where readers can obtain
fuller details.
Best wishes,
Sarah Smalley,
Executive Support Officer, RE Council of England and Wales
Welcome to this issue
of the REC newsletter. If you have information about projects,
conferences, reports or developments you'd like included in the next one please
email it to me by 21st July. It should be in the format of a
heading, two or three sentences giving the basics and a website or email
address where readers can obtain fuller details.
Best wishes,
Sarah Smalley,
Executive Support Officer, RE Council of England and Wales
The RE Council is a non-governmental organisation which relies on donations and grants from other organisations and individuals. You can donate money by sending a cheque to our office, or by securely transferring money via PayPal to info@recouncil.org.uk.
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