Letter to Members: CoR Health Care Workshop 15 April 2026

Dear Members,

This is an invitation to join us for CoR’s Health Care Workshop in April, which will focus on Mental Health and Mental Capacity in both community houses and care settings.

This workshop is designed to support Religious and their staff in living and working with those experiencing mental ill health. The session will explore some of the common issues and triggers associated with mental illness, the experience of those living with these conditions, and the practical realities for communities and care settings. We will also look at routes into referral and assessment, helping participants to better understand available processes and support pathways.

We are pleased that Dr Jacqueline Robins, who specialises in mental health, will be joining us for a recorded video interview as part of the day. If there are particular topics, concerns or questions you would like her to address, please do send them in advance so that we can build them into the interview. There is space within the registration form to submit these, and we would be grateful to receive them by Wednesday 1 April. There will also be other speakers and contributions offering further perspectives and practical input.

This in-person workshop will be held on Wednesday 15 April 2026 at The Little Sisters of The Poor, 2 Meadow Rd, Vauxhall, London SW8 1QH. The session will run from 11.00am to 3.30pm, and a sandwich lunch and refreshments will be provided.

To register, please complete the registration form using the following link: CoR Health Care Workshop – Fill in form

As before, lay staff are very welcome to attend, recognising the vital role they play in supporting this work. We kindly ask that the Provincial of your Congregation is aware of and happy with your attendance.

We hope that many of you will be able to join us, bringing your experience, questions and insights, and we look forward to welcoming you on 15 April.

With best wishes,

CoR Secretariat
Susan, Irene and Charlotte

Letter from the CoR Collaboration Committee: 2026 Workshops

6th January 2027

Dear Members,

I hope that you have had a blessed and restful Christmas and a peaceful entry into 2026!

First of all, we want to thank you very much for completing the evaluation forms following last year’s Collaboration workshops. We were greatly encouraged and helped by your appreciation of the individual sessions as well as the annual programme as a whole, and we were most grateful for your suggestions for topics for this coming year. When we met to reflect on your feedback, it was clear to us that one or two topics need revisiting and could appropriately and usefully be held on-line rather than in person. In addition, we noted that issues other than those we have prioritised for the past two years - leadership, governance and management – are also in need of mutual exploration and collaboration.

We are therefore offering the following programme for 2026:

1. Vocations and Initial Formation.

On Thursday 26th February from 10.45am (coffee 10.15) to 3.30pm at Selly Park Conference Centre, Birmingham. This session will be an opportunity to explore the topic in the context of today’s world and the current life of Congregations. Sr. Liz Dodd SSJP will join others in contributing their thoughts and experiences.

2. Archives – a follow-up workshop

On Wednesday 11th March from 1.30 – 3.30pm. This will be held on-line by Zoom and will be led by Ms Jenny Smith, whose practical input was so much appreciated when she spoke at last year’s workshop.

3. Community dynamics and working with challenging behaviours.

On Wednesday 10th June from 10.45am (coffee 10.15) to 3.30pm at Selly Park Conference Centre, Birmingham. A psychologist will explore some of the dynamics at work in community relationships and how these can be better understood and worked with.

4. Transitioning to CIO – managing Governance and trusteeship.

On Thursday 9th July from 1.30 – 3.30 pm. This will be held on-line by Zoom and will be led both by professional advisors and religious leaders who have successfully transitioned to CIO.

5. Spirituality of Ageing.

On Thursday 24th September from 10.45 (coffee at 10.15) to 3.30pm at the Convent of the little Sisters of the Poor, Vauxhall, London.

As previously, we invite up to two representatives of each Member Congregation to attend the workshops. Attendees do not need to be the Provincial or leader, and could also be a lay colleague or collaborator involved in a particular area of the administration, community life, etc.

There is no cost for attendance and sandwich lunch will be provided; this is covered by your annual subscription.

Nearer the time, we will send out invitations relating to each of the workshops and ask you to book your place.

The booking form for the first two workshops is available here and should be completed and returned to admin@corew.org.

We look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Workshops, and to all our Members collaborating together as we move forward into the future.

Wishing you every blessing on you and your Congregation for the coming year,

Jane Maltby RSCJ

On behalf of the CoR Collaboration Committee

Letter from the CoR Collaboration Committee - 2025 Workshops

Dear Members,

Following the successful series of workshops organised in 2024, we are now writing to let you know our planning for 2025.

First of all, we want to thank you for the interest and support you have shown by your attendance at, and engagement with, the six workshops. We have taken time to evaluate these, and are very grateful for your feedback, suggestions for new topics, and requests for follow-up on previous topics. This informed our planning as we drew up this year’s programme.

Once again, we are offering six workshops where participants will have the opportunity to share their concerns, their issues, and what they have already achieved, as well as receive professional input on the topic.

As with last year, the guiding principle for all our workshops will be that of keeping our charisms and spiritualities that are at the heart of our Mission and Life, as the basis and inspiration for all our work.

The sessions will be as follows:

1.     New Ways of Working & Organising Ourselves

            Friday 14th February 2025 from 11am to 3.30pm

            at London Jesuit Centre, 114 Mount St, London W1K 3AH

This workshop will take forward and share innovative approaches to leadership, new ways of working, greater involvement of lay colleagues in decision-making and management etc. There will be a panel of representatives of different Congregations who will talk about their experiences, followed by group sharing, next steps etc.

2.      Health Care in local communities

            Tuesday 8th April 2025 from 11am to 3.30 pm

            at Little Sisters of the Poor, 2, Meadow Road, London SW8 1QH

This workshop is a follow-up from the Eldercare workshop of last year, to respond to requests for help in understanding and managing health needs in local communities.

3.     Legacy planning and Archives

           Wednesday 4th June 2025 from 11am to 3.30pm

            at St Paul’s Convent Conference Centre, Selly Park, Birmingham B29 7LL

            Details of this workshop will be circulated after Easter.

4.     Possible Ways of Inter-Congregational support

Thursday 17th July 2025 from 11am to 3.30pm

            At St Paul’s Convent Conference Centre, Selly Park, Birmingham B29 7LL

            Details of this workshop will be circulated after Easter.

Workshops 5 and 6 will be held in September and October respectively.

The topics, dates and locations of these workshops are yet to be decided, according to what might be requested and in light of feedback from the earlier workshops.

Finally, a follow-up from the Visa workshop in October 2024.

In response to requests for more information on Visa applications, we have approached Stone King, Solicitors, to allow CoR members to apply to join their workshops on this topic. If we receive this permission, details will be posted on the CoR website in due course.

• We invite up to two members from each Congregation to attend any or all of the workshops and this could well include a lay colleague.

• There will be no charge for attending these sessions; your membership fees will cover the costs.

• Tea and coffee and, this year, a sandwich lunch, will be provided at all sessions.

Please make a note of all the dates.

Further details of each session will be sent about a month before the date,

together with a registration form for that session.

We look forward to receiving your Registration and to meeting you again at the sessions.

With warm wishes,

Jane Maltby RSCJ

On behalf of the CoR Collaboration Committee