Board

Fiona Hamilton - Chair
Hayley Singlehurst - Vice Chair
Clare Benjamin - Secretary
Chris Sims - Treasurer
Jane Moss
Angela Stoner

Biogs

Fiona Hamilton (Chair) is a writer and facilitator. She set up Writing in Healthcare in 2002 and has been delivering creative writing for wellbeing sessions in NHS and complementary healthcare settings since then. She teaches on the Medical Humanities and Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes courses at Bristol University, and on Plymouth/Exeter University's doctorate course for psychologists. She also works in schools and community settings on drama and writing projects, having previously managed a fringe theatre in Bristol and taught drama. She has been a Lapidus member for eight years and was south west regional coordinator for four years. She writes poetry, fiction and non-fiction, most recently a contribution to the forthcoming book 'Writing Routes' edited by Bolton, Thomson and Field, about life narratives, change and writing on trains.

Hayley Singlehurst (Vice Chair) is carrying out a cross-disciplinary doctoral study for the University of Northampton, funded by the School of Arts and the School of Health, which involves facilitating autobiography to explore the lives of those living and beyond with cancer. She has presented her work around the UK, Canada and Chile this year. Before this she worked as an occupational therapist within a secure hospital for children, adolescents and young adults. She facilitated engagement in occuaptions for those within intensive care units, expression (written or verbal) being key. She is the review editor for the academic journal 'The Journal of Applied Arts and Health', which aims to serve a wide community of artists, researchers, practitioners and policy-makers evidencing the effectiveness of the interdisciplanary use of arts in health and arts for health.

Clare Benajmin (Secretary) belongs to a poetry group in Bristol, and is a contributor to the Lapidus South West anthology Elements of Healing. She also facilitates 'Writing for Wellbeing' creative writing groups. She has gained experience in supporting people wanting to share their stories through her media work for health charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support and Penny Brohn Cancer Care. A graduate of Bristol University's 'Diploma in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes' course, she believes creativity to be integral to a holistic approach to health and wellbeing. Clare welcomes the opportunity to work as part of a team on the Board of Lapidus, helping the organisation to raise wider awareness of its activities, and the difference that these can make to people in a range of community settings.

Chris Sims (Treasurer) is a chartered accountant who qualified in 1981. Since then he has had a number of senior roles in commerce, notably as Finance Director of Brandon Hire PLC, and of Bakers Dolphin Travel. In the last year or so, Chris has decided to aim for a more flexible work/life balance and consequently, as a director of Stratadigm Consulting Limited, has carried out a number of one-off and part-time financial roles. He will shortly commence as part-time Finance Director of City Academy in Bristol. In the voluntary sector, Chris has been Treasurer of organisations in the past, and is Chairman of the Finance & General Purposes Committee of Cabot Learning Federation.

Jane Moss is based in west London . She is a creative writing tutor for Kingston Adult Education and runs creative writing workshops in Kew Gardens. She has a special interest in creative and expressive writing in bereavement counselling and is working with the bereavement counselling team at Princess Alice Hospice in Esher to develop this further. Before she ran away to join the writing circus, Jane had a long career in arts management and marketing, working for West End theatres in London and the Arts Council in the East of England and nationally. More recently she was a communications adviser in the Home Office. She runs a partnership, Joined Up Writers, with her colleague Jess Kidd, chairs a theatre company,Theatre Is..., for young people based in Hertfordshire, writes poetry, and goes home to Cornwall and South Wales as often as she can.

Angela Stoner has been a member of Lapidus since 2004 and is regional coordinator of Lapidus Cornwall, currently overseeing a programme of support and inspiration for practitioners and engaging with partnership organisations such as Arts for Health and the Primary Health Trust. Previously an English and drama teacher, she is now a writer, poet and storyteller who believes passionately in the power of the healing word. She has been running workshops to enable this process since 2000 in community and health settings. In 2000 she obtained a certificate in Facilitator Development accredited by Reading University and in 2004 and 2006 went on a series of training courses with Gillie Bolton. Currently she works in the community, in local colleges, with mental health service users and on a hospital ward enabling stroke patients' rehabilitation. She has contributed to professional journals and publications such as Writing Works and Prompted to Write. Her book Once in a Blue Moon (Fal publications) has been described by Myra Schneider as a healing fable, and by the Observer magazine as 'truly magical'. Her first full poetry collection Weight and Flight (Oversteps) is due out in 2010.

How Lapidus is Organised

There are over 200 Lapidus Members, mostly based in the UK, with interests that extend and communicate world-wide. Regional groups are comprised of members whose meetings are publicised and organised by a Regional Co-ordinator. The Lapidus Board is a hub whose aims are to support the regional groups and assist in their growth and development by providing information, networking opportunities, information and interaction on the website and by being informed about wider funding and organisational matters that influence Lapidus interests

Lapidus Journal Editor - Marie Crook

Journal Designer - Tony Moss

Website Editor - Fiona Hamilton