Conference — The Recovery Course

Saturday 4th November LONDON

Keynote speaker

Revd Jonathan Aitken

The Revd Jonathan Aitken has had one of the most high profile and colourful careers in British public life.

He is an author, broadcaster, columnist, lecturer and campaigner for prison reform. He is a former Cabinet Minister, Member of Parliament, ex-prisoner and now priest and part time prison chaplain at HMP Pentonville.

His 16 books include his award-winning biographies of President Richard Nixon, Nixon: A Life (1993) and Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality (2013) and John Newton: From Grace to Amazing Disgrace (2013) as well as two volumes of autobiography, Pride and Perjury (2000) and Porridge and Passion (2006).

As a public speaker, Jonathan Aitken is in demand for lectures, talks, debates, after dinner speeches and testimony talks. He fulfils over 50 speaking engagements in a variety of venues from churches to schools to auditoriums to small groups of individuals. In September 2023 Jonathan is travelling to the USA to speak at the Nixon Library.

The Recovery Course Conference

Our conference will be at St George the Martyr Church, 44 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AH.

Date: Saturday 4th November 09.30 am - 4:15 pm

Registration begins at 8:30 AM for Tea, Coffee, and Pastries.

Tickets £10 per delegate

The Recovery Course Conference is the place for anyone passionate about making a difference in the lives of those who are struggling with addiction.

With ample time for networking, delegates will enjoy time to worship and pray, hear stories of transformation and receive teaching, join optional focused seminars, and listen to exciting speakers.

Join us this year in London, in person, in community.

The official hashtag for the conference is #TRC23

Speaker topics and optional seminars so far include:

Justyn Rees Larcombe, Susie Flashman Jarvis, Michael Emmett, Revd Jo Davies, Dr Robin and Kay Lawrence, Nigel & Jan Skelsey, and Revd’s Bob and Karen Street.

Our Keynote speaker is Rev Jonathan Aitken

Main Talks

Keynote address Revd Jonathan Aitken
Addiction, The Mission is Urgent: Nigel Skelsey
In Conversation with Michael Emmett: Nigel
Addiction and Recovery in Prisons: Revd Jo Davies
Mind, Body and Spirit: Healing the Addicted: Dr Robin Lawrence & Kay Lawrence
Understanding Problem Gambling and Pornography: Justyn Rees Larcombe & Nigel Skelsey
Heroin, Hope and The Grace of God: Susie Flashman Jarvis

Optional Workshops (Afternoon)

Workshop 1: So You Want to Run a Recovery Course?

Starting The Recovery Course might initially appear to be a challenging endeavor, but in reality, it is a more manageable process than it may seem at first glance. Justyn and Susie offer a comprehensive and user-friendly step-by-step guide to help individuals navigate the process of launching and establishing the course successfully.

Justyn Rees Larcombe & Susie Flashman Jarvis

Workshop 2: Mind, Body and Spirit: Healing the Addicted Q&A

Question and Answer session to support their main talk.

"In addiction we tend to compartmentalise and split off aspects of ourselves. In the main talk we look at the person as a whole being, taking into consideration the brain chemistry, how the addicted mind works, and its effect on our spirituality."

Dr Robin Lawrence & Kay Lawrence

Workshop 3: How to Be a Great Small Group Leader

According to our guests, the small groups are the most important part of the course. They like the food and talk, but they absolutely love a well run Group, because it is here that real change happens. Jan and Nigel Skelsey will share what we need to consider doing in order to run a group effectively, but, more importantly, what not to do! Come and learn from their mistakes.

Nigel & Jan Skelsey

Workshop 4: Supporting Your Course with Prayer

You can run The Recovery Course without organised and persistent prayer, but we strongly recommend you do not! If you want to see breakthroughs in people's lives then join Bob and Karen Street for this session and explore the importance of prayer in supporting your course. This workshop aims to empower individuals with the tools and understanding needed to effectively integrate prayer into their recovery course.

Revd’s Bob & Karen Street

Recovery Panel

The expert panel session offers a valuable opportunity for attendees to ask questions and gain a deeper understanding of addiction and the recovery process.

Worship, Prayer, and Ministry

We've scheduled dedicated time slots for worship throughout the day, with a special prayer session planned at the end of the conference.

Ticket Concessions

We understand that the cost of attending conferences can sometimes be a barrier. Therefore, we want to emphasise that we have intentionally kept the price of conference tickets incredibly affordable, at just £10. Our goal is to ensure that as many people as possible can participate and benefit from the valuable insights, knowledge, and connections that this event offers.

We want to ensure that nobody is excluded from this important gathering due to financial constraints. If, for any reason, you find it challenging to afford the conference ticket, we kindly invite you to contact us at info@therecoverycourse.com Your email will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.

BOOK YOUR TICKET NOW

Meet the speakers…

Nigel Skesley

Nigel founded The Recovery Course during his time at Holy Trinity Brompton. He himself has experienced the struggle with various addictions throughout his own life, but knows that it is possible to find a way out and experience freedom. Nigel works at Priory Hospital alongside those struggling with acute mental health issues.
Revd Jo Davies

Revd Jo Davies has been passionately involved in Prison Ministry for almost 27 years. She was one of the Assistant Clergy at Holy Trinity Brompton before moving on to HMP Pentonville 15 years ago, where she is currently the Managing Chaplain.
Susie Flashman Jarvis

Susie is a coach, author, wife, mother, and accredited counsellor. Her early career saw her travel the globe as a fashion model appearing on the pages of some of the biggest magazines and newspapers. Her honest journey of addiction, offers a hand of hope to those who feel alone in their difficulties.
Michael Emmett

Michael Emmett found his name in the headlines when he was nicked for a £13million drug bust in 1993. It was one of the UK’s biggest at the time. While in prison, with his father in the same cell, he happened to find God, hope, and with those, a new lease of life.
A transformed and loving family man, Michael is sowing seeds of hope and charity around the world through speaking events, podcasts, and more. He hopes sharing his story of desperation and darkness will encourage others to step into the light.
Kay Lawrence Counsellor, Group Facilitator, Clinical Supervisor

Kay Lawrence is a highly experienced counsellor and works with patients both one-on-one and in groups. Her special interests lie in addiction, obsessive-compulsive behaviour, adult survivors of childhood abuse, self-esteem, sexuality and “inner child” therapeutic work. She is the core facilitator on a BACP-accredited training at CPPD London and frequently designs and delivers workshops and seminars in the public and private sectors. Kay is a regular speaker at national and international conferences.
Revd Bob Street, Chairman

Bob Street is a retired United Reformed Church minister and currently an elder at Tunbridge Wells Baptist Church. Before becoming a minister he was a finance manager in Shell. He is married to Karen and together they run the prayer support for The Recovery Course
Dr Robin Lawrence - Consultant Psychiatrist

Robin Lawrence is a Consultant Psychiatrist with decades of experience in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders, and has practised for many years from his clinic at 96 Harley Street. An authoritative and respected voice in general adult psychiatry, his special interests include depression, anxiety, bipolar affective disorder, adult attention deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, addictive disorder and the full range of recognised mental health conditions.
Revd Karen Steet, Prayer Co-ordinator

Karen is a retired minister in the United Reformed Church. Her passion has always been prayer and increasingly so since retiring. Prayer can bring healing, change for the better, guidance, provision and protection, all of which are needed in abundance in The Recovery Course.
Justyn Rees Larcombe

Having overcome an addiction to online gambling, Justyn is now an author, public speaker and advisor on the issues of problem gambling and addiction and is a member of the Royal Society For Public Health Steering Committee on problem gambling.
Jan Skelsey

Jan is married to Nigel, the founder of the course. She worked in film animation for a decade but she gave that up so that she could spend time supporting their sons. She then worked at a national newspaper for two decades and is now a TA at a local primary school. Together Jan and Nigel ran The Recovery Course in London for 10 years, during which time she led women's groups and supported other group leaders, using her experience of being an addict's partner for over 50 years.