Become A Mediation Champion

 

To celebrate 40 years of family mediation provision, the Family Mediation Trust is aiming to create 100 Family Mediation Champions. COULD YOU BE ONE!

We would like to invite you to step forward and help families to access mediation more smoothly and with confidence, by becoming a Mediation Champion. 

What is a Mediation Champion?

A mediation champion is someone who:

  • Works with separated families in some way; this could be as a teacher, community worker, social worker, solicitor, religious leader, magistrate or youth worker.
  • Believes that most separating parents would benefit from adopting a low-conflict approach to making decisions around their children's needs and care.

How Do You Become a Mediation Champion?

We don't want to make it difficult to become a champion because we know how busy everyone is; we have, therefore, made the process as quick as possible. All we ask from you is to attend a FREE 90 minute workshop with one of our expert mediators, to learn about the options parents have when they go through a separation and the role of mediation in this process. Click to become a Mediation Champion

The Workshop: Exploring Mediation

  • The divorce/separation process.
  • How a separation can impact on a child's well-being.
  • What tools can parents' access to help make decisions for their children.
  • How mediation works.
  • How you can help families.

On completing the workshop, we will issue you with a certificate welcoming you as a champion. We will also list your name and organisation on our register of Mediation Champions. 

As a Mediation Champion, We Ask You To -

Support families to explore family mediation in a positive way to help them manage their separation. This support could be as simple as signposting parents to mediation; or it could go further and you help them to be referred to mediation. We also ask you to try and dispel some of the myths that surround mediation when you talk to parents. 

Why Do We Need Mediation Champions?

There are approximately 1.8 million single parent households, of which 90% are run by mothers. 49% of children living with a single parent will be living in poverty. We live in a world where we still see far too many families looking at court as the only way they can find a solution. 

Courts play a critical role for families separating; but they are FULL - and many cases being managed in court could be managed in other ways, such as mediation. This was set out by His Honour Judge Stephen Wildblood QC, Designated Family Judge for Bristol, Gloucestershire and North Somerset who said; "Therefore, the message in this judgment to parties and lawyers is this, as far as I am concerned. Do not bring your private law litigation to the Family court here unless it is genuinely necessary for you to do so. You should settle your differences (or those of your clients) away from court, except where that is not possible. If you do bring unnecessary cases to this court, you will be criticised, and sanctions may be imposed upon you. There are many other ways to settle disagreements, such as mediation." READ THE HEARING

Families going to court can use legal support - but for a contested court case the cost of this can be well over £50,000 per parent. Or, and this is increasingly common, the parents are litigants in person. 71% of litigants in family court cases are litigants in person, and amazingly 58% of parties in domestic violence courts are litigants in person, including 21% of the applicants. 

Regardless of the above, when someone says they are leaving their partner the first thing they are told is "find the best lawyer", "make sure you get what you deserve" or "don't let X have custody".  

We need to amplify the message that there are other options than going to court and the child's needs should be the key focus to all decision making. To make this happen we need Mediation Champions.

Click to become a Mediation Champion

Our Mediation Champions Are:

  1. Karen Taylor: Essex Family Law
  2. Zoe Mack: Mattishall Primary School
  3. Lydia Mack: Reducing Parental Conflict, Peterborough City Council
  4. Travis Britton: Dads Matter
  5. Jackie Jessiman: Fraser Dawbarns LLP
  6. Jane-Louise Burrows: Fullers Family Law 
  7. Julia Moreno: JM Coaching Ltd
  8. Nina Young: Frank Conversations 
  9. Olimpia Scott: Divorce Coach
  10. Paula Crowhurst: Polly Bloom Divorce & Separation Coach
  11. Janette Wood: Janette Wood Mediation
  12. Lois Stanley: Childrens Links
  13. Dolly Butler: Childrens Links
  14. Melody Cooper: Citizens Advice Diss, Thetford & District
  15. Karis Le Winton: Suffolk Law Centre
  16. Elena Perceli: Norfolk Community Law Service
  17. Cara Walker: Norfolk Community Law Service
  18. Daniel Bester: Surrey Family Mediation
  19. Sharon O'Donnell: Suffolk Law Centre
  20. Sue Palmer-Conn: Divorce Doctor
  21. Stef Taylor: Tendring Families First 
  22. Julie-Ann Morgans: Tendring Families First 
  23. Liz  Pickford: Tendring Families First 
  24. Juliet Harvey: Birketts
  25. Emma Stearman: Fraser Dawbarns
  26. Jennifer Satterthwaite:Childrens Links
  27. Kenneth Clarke: Laceys Solicitors
  28. Joanne Crawford: Childrens Links
  29. Karen Newman: BH&O
  30. Donna Robinson:1stForMediation
  31. Fiona Kimbell: Neom Coaching 
  32. Claire Mawson: Family Matters Mediation
  33. Rhiannon Ford: Rhiannon Ford Divorce Consultancy
  34. Valerie Sylvestre: Sage Mediation
  35. Mark Pope: Bold Moves
  36. Annette Shaw: Pause Reflect Grow
  37. Nicole Macdonald: Tees Law
  38. Harriet Chastney: Tees Law
  39. Amber Kennedy: Tees Law
  40. Angie Brown: Dootsons Solicitors
  41. Kimberley Walkley: Ward Gethin Archer
  42. Tracy Sortwell: Magistrates Association
  43. Amanda Perry: First Steps Family Mediation
  44. Roxanne McDowell: Norfolk County Council
  45. Stephanie Hill: Tees Law








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