About us

“Many thanks for an extremely interesting course, I think your energy and sensitivity, professionalism and experience add a fantastic ingredient to a really enjoyable course.”
Jan Summerfield, Service Manager - NHS Staff Counselling Service, Conflict Mediation Skills participant - March 2009

Who we are

Peacebuilders was founded by Laura Gilchrist in 2008. Laura works alongside a number of Associates who are experienced and talented mediators and trainers. Peacebuilders developed out of Resolutions First, a social enterprise specialising in conflict resolution between 1999 and 2008.

Laura Gilchrist is a qualified mediator with seven years experience in community, school and workplace mediation, as well as being an experienced trainer and facilitator. She is also a qualified commercial mediator. Laura has delivered training for children and teachers in playground buddies, peer mediation and developing an effective school council. Whilst at Resolutions First, she developed and delivered an accredited Mediation Training course, and a conflict resolution course for Manchester Metropolitan University’s Youth and Community Work programme. Laura has a Masters degree in Conflict Resolution and is a founding partner of the national ‘Peace School’ programme. With a background in Development Education, she has also delivered training on a range of global development issues in secondary schools and church settings. Laura co-authored the Primary Playground Buddies Toolkit, a resource for primary school teachers to train pupils as playground buddies.

Peacebuilders Associates

Hilary Bichovsky is a an associate mediation and training coordinator with Peacebuilders. She is an editor, researcher and administrator with 12 years experience of providing administrative assistance to a wide range of research projects spanning conflict resolution, medicine, theology and participatory politics. She has been an editorial assistant at Red Pepper magazine and is now a freelance administrator and educational researcher. She has a Community Mediation Skills Certificate, is a Dru Yoga teacher and also a licensed practitioner for the Kairos course ‘The Power of Self-Esteem’. Hilary is actively involved with the More to Life Community, an internationally recognised personal development training programme.

Laura Mackey is an associate trainer and mediator with Peacebuilders. She has been a mediator since 2001 when she studied for a Diploma in Mediation at University College Dublin. She has worked in the general field of community mediation since 2004. Laura works with all types of community based conflict including neighbour, family, workplace, schools, victim / offender and individual / organisational. She has experience of working with individuals, pairs and groups in conflict and her approach to her work is empathic and calm.  She is also an able and inspiring trainer with many years’ experience of developing and delivering a variety of accredited mediation and conflict resolution courses. Building on her experience as a mediator and trainer, Laura has also developed a successful practice as a conflict coach.  Laura has an MA in Mediation and Conflict Interventions from National University of Ireland - Maynooth.

Julie Wolstenholme is an associate mediator and trainer with Peacebuilders. She originally came into this field of work as a community mediator over ten years ago. Julie has a commitment to the promotion of mediation as a method of dispute transformation and resolution and trained a team of mediators for Manchester Education Partnership’s School Mediation Service. She is a qualified teacher with many years experience working in the field of conflict resolution - both in schools and in the wider community. She has been involved in research projects on cross cultural conflict resolution. Julie has pioneered work in a number of Manchester schools to support them in developing restorative ways of building relationships and resolving conflicts. She offers training, consultation and practical support to introduce restorative approaches into schools. Julie co-authored the Primary Playground Buddies Toolkit, a resource for teachers to train pupils as playground buddies.

Ben Gilchrist is an associate mediator with Peacebuilders. Ben has over 17 years experience facilitating, organising and project managing participatory events and training at a local and national level. He has been qualified as a mediator for 6 years and has a wide range of experience in both interpersonal and workplace mediation. Ben is the Policy and Participation Manager at Tameside Third Sector Coalition where he manages a team of 6 people co-ordinating seven different thematic networks of third sector groups. Recent events he has facilitated include a local transport seminar with GMPTE, drug recovery workshops with the borough crime and disorder reduction partnership, a Council funded participatory budgeting process for small grants and the local Big Society debate involving Government Office North west and the Centre for Local Economic Strategies.

Our Work

Peacebuilders works in the public sector, schools and universities and in local communities. Examples of our work include:

Testimonials

We receive generous and positive feedback from our work. Here are just a few of the comments:

“I just wanted to thank you both for making this experience so calm, safe and peaceful. The training has given me the skills to resolve disputes and issues within my working role but has also provided me with the skills to apply to everyday issues too. I have learnt lots and can't wait to go out there and try to help others.”
A.Gronan, Housing Officer, Guinness Northern Counties Housing Association, Conflict Mediation Skills Participant 2009

“The expressive, open people-focussed training really encouraged me to contribute. The trainers were excellent at setting up a safe space in which to learn and try out new techniques. It was excellent training.”
L.Wolfenden, Director, Practical Direction, Conflict Mediation Skills Participant 2009

“The content of the sessions and how they were delivered was awe-inspiring. The group bonded very well due to the tutors. I was fully engaged throughout and the last two days I developed muscles I didn't know I had!”
A.Chinelo, Freelance community artist, Conflict Mediation Skills Participant 2009

“Excellent. A really good mixture of learning styles, plenty of interaction. I learnt some new stuff, about myself and others, which is always good. The day was broken up extremely well.”
T.Jones, Participation Worker, Network Leeds, Introduction to Dealing with Conflict Participant, Feb 2009

“This course has opened my eyes to the ways I respond in conflict and also given me great tools to use in my own community when conflicts arise. It was really well balanced in terms of learning styles and I’ve learnt many useful skills in a very practical and useable way.”
Hazel Hughes, Genesis Sale Moor Community Project, Community Mediation Skills participant 2008

“I felt the course was structured well, with just the right amount of time given to different topics and exercises. It was clear how knowledgeable and experienced the trainers were and this gave me confidence.”
Anna Whitfield, Connexions, Community Mediation Skills participant 2008

“Brilliant course! Excellent opportunity to share and learn in a very warm atmosphere”
Teacher, St Matthews RC High School, Restorative Approaches Course 2008

“I’m absolutely delighted! To see the students actively engaged and working together was wonderful, and to see the way they dealt with some of the problems that presented themselves was so impressive. It was spot on!”
Mr J. Poulet, Deputy Head teacher, Wilmslow High School, following delivery of a day focussed on Personal Learning and Thinking Skills, November 2008

“The training with the children and the strategies used have helped raise the children’s self-esteem and made them much more responsible members of the school community”
Ms L. Bardsley, Headteacher, St Peter’s CE Primary, Playground Buddy Training

“A very enjoyable course; well-led and a good balance of different learning styles.”
Ms J. Kennedy, Head teacher, Barlow Hall Primary School, Restorative approaches training for staff

“The mediation training has made a huge difference. The mediators are learning vital skills and they feel that their job is important. Other children sometimes feel more comfortable talking to one of their peers than to an adult.”
Ms S. Henderson, Teacher, Manley Park Primary School, Peer Mediation training for pupils and staff

“Thanks for a great job on Tuesday – lots of enthusiasm followed and no complaints!”
Ms C. Edge, Ashbury Meadow Primary School, following facilitation of a Senior Leadership Team meeting

Contact Us

E-mail us at: info@peacebuilders.org.uk

Peacebuilders
St John's Centre
St John's Road
Old Trafford
Manchester
M16 7GX

Tel: 07855 567563