It was great to hear from Wendy Freshman of The Mediation Service who kindly stepped in at relatively short notice to talk about the Service and her work there.
Not everyone knows a lot about The Mediation Service, so it was great to get an insight from Wendy, who currently is Chief Executive of the Service.
Mediation is basically a way of dealing with disputes and the effects of crime; its aim is to help parties to reach an agreement to everyone's satisfaction.
The Service's mission statement is "To provide a confidential service, using fully trained staff and mediators, to help people who are in dispute or experiencing conflict situations." It is the second oldest mediation service in the country and helps people resolve issues where conflict arise, and also uses something called "restorative practice" to help victims and offenders come to terms with the aftermath of a harmful event.
The mediator, as a neutral party, helps resolve the conflict or dispute. It's generally more cost effective and quicker than going to court. Wendy holds qualifications in Restorative Practice and has over 15 years industry experience.
Currently the Service is run mostly by volunteers (with the exception of one part-time worker) - nevertheless it manages to deliver over 250 restorative resolutions in both the Canterbury District and across Kent.
Our Club donated to the Service earlier this year and Wendy saw the presentation as a chance to thank us for our help.
