Monday 27th January 9.15-10.15am
All welcome
Join us as we launch Family Mediation Week 2025!
Hear from Stephen Burke about the purpose and importance of Family Mediation Week, Sarah Manning about the events planned for the week. We also look to what is happening elsewhere in the family justice system, and are pleased to be joined by Anna Sinclair from CAFCASS Cymru, who will speak about the Pathfinder project which is being operated in Wales.
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Sarah Manning is a Partner and Head of Mediation at Hall Brown Family Law, a boutique national family law firm. Sarah is a practicing solicitor and accredited mediator specialising in high net worth and complex children and financial matters. Sarah champions Non-Court Dispute Resolution in her practice as a mediator and solicitor and an active advocate to promote this way of working.
Sarah is the Chair of Family Mediation Week and was recently named Family Mediator of the Year at the National Mediation Awards. Sarah is on the Resolution DR committee, which is aimed at leading in process and practice in NCDR.
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Stephen Burke joined the Family Mediation Council as its Chair in June 2024.
Stephen is CEO of two charitable foundations linked to Hallmark Care Homes: the Hallmark Foundation, which focuses on ageing well and improving care, and the Goyal Foundation, which focuses on empowering children, young people and women to tackle disadvantage in the UK and abroad. Stephen is also director of United for All Ages, an intergenerational think tank, and is on the board of several charities. Previously he has been chief executive of national care charities and a public sector leader in local government, NHS and housing. For eight years Stephen was chair of trustees of Norfolk Family Mediation Service, overseeing its growth and merger to create the Family Mediation Trust. He now lives in North Essex where amongst other things he helps with childcare for his grandson. |
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Anna Sinclair is Cafcass Cymru Head of Practice. Anna has over 20 years’ experience working in the family justice system as a qualified social worker. She worked as a family court advisor, practice manager, senior practice development manager and head of private law reform for Cafcass Cymru before assuming her current role. Anna was part of the President’s Private Law Working Group and the Family Solutions Group, and was closely involved in the development of the Pathfinder model and in its implementation in Wales. |
