Befriending Workshop

I'm a member of a group called Mental Health Links (an inter-denominational group consisting of representatives from the local Christian churches). Links are the steering committee for the Spiritual Journeying group. We were invited to attend a 'Befriending Workshop' in Battersea today, (organised by the Association for Pastoral Care in Mental Health) to talk about the Spiritual Journeying group as a successful befriending model. I was the only Link available and was very happy to put a few words together and go along.

The workshop was due to begin at 10 am with coffee. I hooked up the SatNav and left home around 8 am. There were no holdups and I arrived at 9 am. I'd thought about parking in Battersea park, but happily there was room to park (free) in the street almost outside the venue.

It was a gorgeous morning: blue sky and golden sunshine highlighting the delicate shades of spring green. I went for a walk in the park, marvelling as always at the tranquility and beauty of our parks right in the heart of such a bustling capital city. I noticed what I thought was a group of heron statues and strolled closer, to discover they weren't statues at all! Then I found a bench in the sunshine and sat meditating for a while. It put me in a very mellow mood for the workshop.

All Saints Church doesn't look much like a church from the outside and inside there were some decidely eclectic decor choices - a gothic chandelier dangling low in the open space, quite fitting with the elaborately carved wooden framed settee and matching chair stood to one side of the doorway, yet contrasting with the huge modern art canvases; a large modern glass-fronted display cabinet all along one wall brimful of souvenirs and emblems of other cultures and nationalities, including a set of russian dolls, buddha statuettes, hindu gods - not to mention a copy of the Bhagavad-Gita nestling comfortably beside a Bible. All in all, it made a very powerful statement.

Richard, the facilitator for the day, began by inviting us to break into small groups and come up with definitions for 'friendship' and 'befriending' before we heard about a successful befriending scheme which has been operating in Merton and surrounding areas for over 10 years. Then we heard from the Battersea Befriending Network, and just before lunch it was my turn to speak about Spiritual Journeying group. Afterwards I fielded a few questions.

I was made to feel welcome and comfortable chatting with people over lunch, being invited to submit an article for the APCMH newsletter, and felt very pleased with how the day had gone as I drove home. By now traffic had built up and it took me as long to travel the first couple of miles from Battersea to Chelsea as it did to travel the remaining 30 odd miles home.