Chichester Clergy Conference

‘ Thy Kingdom Come

The Chichester Clergy Conference 2014

Key-note Speaker Biographies

Camila Batmanghelidjh, CBE

Camila is the founder of two children’s charities - The Place 2 Be (now national) and Kids Company, where she currently works with some of the most traumatised young people living in London. Camila trained as a psychotherapist, engaged in 20 years of psychoanalysis and has become an advocate for vulnerable children. In 2009 she was named Business Woman of the Year for the Dods and Scottish Widows Public Life Awards. Camila has also been awarded Social Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, and Coutts and the Most Admired Chief Executive by Third Sector Magazine. She won the lifetime achievement award from the Centre of Social Justice. Kids Company has been awarded the Human Rights Awards by Liberty& JUSTICE and has been awarded Child Poverty Champion Status by the End Child Poverty Action Group. In 2010 Camila and Kids Company were given the Award for Innovative Excellence by Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Now. In 2012 Kids Company received the Royal Society for Public Health Arts and Health Award. Kids Company currently has a partnership with the University of Cambridge and UCL involving research into neurodevelopmental trauma. Camila considers herself very privileged to be working with what she describes as extraordinarily courageous and dignified children. She has a good sense of humour and enjoys cutting up other people’s curtains and wearing them!

Philip Blond

Philip is an internationally recognised political thinker and social and economic commentator. He bridges the gap between politics and practice, offering strategic consultation and policy formation to governments, businesses and organisations across the world. He founded ResPublica in 2009 and is an academic, journalist and author. Prior to entering politics and public policy he was a senior lecturer in theology and philosophy – teaching at the Universities of Exeter and Cumbria. His ideas have influenced the agenda around the Big Society and civil renewal and have helped to redefine British and international politics. Papers he has authored and co-authored while at ResPublica included Holistic Mission (2013), Marriage: Union for the future or contract for the present (2013), Military Academies: Tackling disadvantage, improving ethos and changing outcome (2012). He has written extensively in the British and foreign press, including for The Guardian, The Independent, The Observer, the New Statesman and The New York Times. As a renowned speaker and communicator, Phillip is a frequent broadcaster, appearing on the BBC and Sky as well as foreign media. Through both his writing and speaking Phillip argues for a new economic and social politics based around free association and group formation, new forms of capitalisation and market entry,

Mike Ovey

Mike is the Principal of Oak Hill theological college in London. Before moving to Oak Hill, Mike was a civil service lawyer drafting government legislation. He trained at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and was ordained in Chichester by Bishop Eric Kemp to serve at All Saints, Crowborough. After teaching at Moore College in Australia, he returned to Oak Hill to teach doctrine and apologetics and became Principal in 2007. His areas of interest are Trinitarian theology, soteriology and apologetics. He is married to Heather, and they have three children, Charlie, Harry and Anastasia. He remains incurably optimistic about the prospects of Arsenal FC and the England rugby team, solace being provided by the works of PG Wodehouse.