Team
Movement Members
OutoftheBox is collaborative and co-creative and we value the contribution made by every Member. Over 420 Members work in different contexts and are adapting OutoftheBox to fit the needs of the people they work with. There are people using OutoftheBox in schools, forest gatherings, care homes, churches, workplaces, hospitals, prisons, universities, community drop in sessions, parenting support groups, in spiritual accompaniment, coaching and in therapeutic settings.
Story Development Team
The OutoftheBox Story Development Team is an international network of storytellers helping to develop new stories in the genres of Wisdom, History, Arts, Nature, STEM, Religion and Faith. Any Member is welcome to join the Team. Currently over 40 people are actively contributing from the UK, Isle of Man, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the US. The Team includes teachers, play therapists, care home chaplains, community leaders, ministers, education consultants, academics, counsellors, Montessori and Charlotte Mason practitioners, trainers in Adverse Childhood Experiences and trainers of Godly Play®.
OutoftheBox Mentors
Our associated mentors use OutoftheBox principles in the way they encourage and walk alongside - by drawing out the wisdom, skills and experiences of others as well as sharing their own learnings. They support online and face-to-face learning groups and online Members’ Chat sessions, and help develop the learning materials available to Members. They can also offer your community, conference or workplace online or face-to-face OutoftheBox Learning sessions, Experiences, Team Building Sessions, Retreats or Consultancy.
Brenton Prigge, Plymouth, UK
Brenton is a South-African /Australian now living in Plymouth, Devon, where he serves as a Methodist Minister. Storytelling and wondering are woven through all his work and play as he journeys alongside others to explore the meaning of life. In his spare time Brenton likes to explore the great outdoors, whether it is on the moors, in the woods or scuba diving under the sea.
Judy Yeomans, Lewes, UK
Judy has spent much of her adult life in the company of children, first as a speech and language therapist, then as a mother and children’s worker in the local church. She became a trainer in the Godly Play® in 2017 and has recently begun training in therapeutic play skills with children. Judy is also a school governor. In her free time she loves to be outdoors somewhere, taking in the wonders of the Sussex countryside where she lives.
Jennie Fytche, Cambridge, UK
Jennie has spent her career working with children and young people, in the NHS, within charities supporting churches; in the social care sector and latterly within primary schools. Jennie trains and mentors in pastoral care, children's and youth work and bereavement care. Jennie loves walking the coastal and countryside paths of Lincolnshire.
Kate Cornwell, Sheffield, UK
Kate is a healthcare chaplain at the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust. She finds OutoftheBox to be an invaluable tool in supporting the NHS workforce and regularly offers sessions to nursing and multi-disciplinary teams. Kate enjoys walking outdoors and being mum to her four children.
Mandy Thorlby, West Yorkshire, UK
Mandy trained as a drama therapist and runs creative groups for children, young people and adults in various community, education, and faith settings. She is interested in the links between creativity and spirituality and currently works as an enabler and trainer helping churches reflect on their practice with children and as a creative wellbeing worker at a local food project. In her spare time Mandy loves making paper and notebooks, crochet and exploring the Yorkshire countryside.
Maria Neal, Derbyshire
Maria is currently working with schools in the British Jesuit Province. She is a qualified teacher and was a school chaplain. Maria enjoys using story-based process for staff training, retreats and facilitating development of ideas and problem resolution. She has extensive experience with Early Years and Primary school settings and is a chaplain for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service. Maria enjoys taking OutoftheBox into many different settings including educational, parish and workplace, religious and secular.
Yusuf Costu, London, UK
Yusuf is a life coach who is very passionate about holding space for people to encourage them to be their most authentic selves. Through his own healing journey he has come to appreciate the value in learning to love oneself, and strives to bring more self-love into the world. He loves dancing, yoga, and being in nature.
Shannon Schuster, Australia
Shannon is passionate about children’s wellbeing and learning. She has a background in teaching, has spent her life working with children and families in community groups and church settings and loves being the mother of three. Shannon is a trainer for Godly Play® Australia. She enjoys sharing stories, walking barefoot on the beach and wandering through the botanic gardens - there is always something new to discover.
Judyth Roberts, Sydney, Australia
Judyth has spent her life with children, first as a teacher and youth leader, then as a mother of four sons, as a playgroup leader, then in roles teaching others how to play with children and create enriched play spaces. She has written and blogged extensively on intergenerational and family ministry and is a Deep Talk trainer and Godly Play® Australia trainer. She feels blessed to live on the coast north of Sydney and begin each day walking in the eucalyptus forest.
Lorraine Henry, New Zealand
Lorraine is a school teacher as well as a trainer for Godly Play® New Zealand, having previously worked as an artist and in museum work. Lorraine enjoys storytelling, playing badminton and other physical activities, scrabble and gardening.
Jean Pienaar, South Africa
Jean trained as a town and regional planner but soon found herself working with rural communities, facilitating workshops and then lecturing. The energy of three (then very young) sons encouraged her to pioneer Messy Church and explore intergenerational ministry in her local Johannesburg context. In her spare time (!) she enjoys planning adventures, exploring the outdoors, reading and being creative.
Joke Vermeire, Eeklo, Belgium
Joke lives in Eeklo, Belgium and speaks Dutch. She is constantly looking for ways to wonder, to be creative and to have fun with children - as a teacher of religious studies, a volunteer in the church and with her own four little children. Joke is a Godly Play® trainer. If there is a little time left in her day, she likes to read a good book with a nice piece of chocolate.
Rondy Kyle, Edmonton, Canada
Rondy has worked with families, children, youth, and young adults in various contexts. She has 12 years of weekly storytelling experience in Godly Play® and, more recently, OutoftheBox, and over 30 years of lay leadership in the United Church of Canada. Rondy has worked with children in inner city communities, done crisis intervention work with vulnerable youth, and spent many summers at camp. At the heart of Rondy’s work is creating community and building relationships through story and deep listening.
Founders and Mentors
OutoftheBox is a not-for-profit company founded in the UK in 2021 to lead the growth of the OutoftheBox movement.
Kathryn Lord, UK
Kathryn is co-founder of OutoftheBox and is a spiritual accompanier and retreat leader. She has a past career as a secondary school teacher, and as a trainer for Godly Play®UK, during which time she established Stories for the Soul (relational care through story and play for older adults). Living in Sheffield, Kathryn enjoys wild swimming and sharing stories of life around a firepit.
Kate Caroe, UK
Kate is co-founder of OutoftheBox. She is a home educating mum of six children, following Charlotte Mason’s educational philosophy which means reading and talking about lots of stories! She is Chair of Steel City Choristers and was previously responsible for Godly Play® at Sheffield Cathedral. Kate loves singing, painting and nature-journalling, as well as hosting international students and being with friends.
Advisory Group
Professor Dianne Willcocks, York, UK
Dianne Willcocks was the first Vice Chancellor of York St John University, a CofE foundation, and she is a social gerontology researcher- now active as Chair of Wilf Ward Family Trust, focussing on learning disability, citizenship, frailty, dementia and end of life care. In addition she is trustee for YOPA, York Older People’s Assembly; a patron of OCAY, older citizens advocacy York and a Vice Chair for York Museums Trust. Find Dianne Elsewhere www.diannewillcocks.co.uk
Lorna Warren, Sheffield, UK
Lorna Warren is a senior lecturer at the University of Sheffield. She has 30+ years experience of working on participatory research projects with older people and carers. They have included an award-winning initiative in which older women explored their stories of ageing through arts-based approaches, challenging ageism and sexism through follow-on policy and school-based activities. She is shortly to work with colleagues on a new project to understand inclusive ageing using storying methods in co-production with Black, Asian, minority ethnic and refugee (BAMER) groups. As a member of the new flagship Healthy Lifespan Institute (HELSI) at the University, she is helping to stimulate arts- and humanities-related collaboration and research.
Find Lorna Elsewhere https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/socstudies/people/academic-staff/lorna-warren
Alison Seaman, London, UK
Alison has had a long career in education as a primary school teacher, adviser in spiritual and religious education, and education consultant. She is the author of a range of publications for children and teachers. As Director of the National Society’s RE Resources Centre in London, she worked with schools, and faith communities exploring the many ways children and young people can meaningfully learn about, and from, religious, philosophical and secular world views. She was a Godly Play trainer and took the first steps in exploring ways Godly Play could be used in schools and in care settings, particularly for those with dementia. Alison has travelled widely and has a keen interest in music and the creative arts. Since retiring from professional life, she has maintained her interest in education acting as a coach and mentor.