Anew Retreats may be small and personal, but there’s a wonderful team of people behind it.

Between us, we bring many years of experience in ministry, counselling, addiction support, prayer, creativity, pastoral care and supporting people through some of life’s more difficult seasons. We’ve worked in churches, charities and communities, with people from all sorts of backgrounds and at very different stages of life and faith.

But we’re not here to analyse you, fix you or tell you what your retreat should look like.

Our role is much simpler: to welcome you, encourage you and create a safe and peaceful space where you can slow down, be yourself and have time with God.

Different members of the team are involved in different retreats, each bringing their own gifts, experience and personality - and together, we share the same heart for seeing people leave Anew Retreats feeling rested, encouraged and renewed.

Small retreat. Big-hearted team.

Heather grew up attending a Methodist church, but it was in her late teens that her faith became personal and she began to develop her own relationship with Jesus. Over the years, through involvement in a number of Anglican churches, her relationship with Father, Jesus and Holy Spirit has continued to deepen.

Following a 20-year career in housing, Heather spent 17 years working with Christians Against Poverty, where she and Adele first met and worked together. Now semi-retired, she gives much of her time to volunteering with people facing difficult circumstances, as well as being actively involved in her local church, where she leads prayer and Keys to Freedom.

Heather has a real heart for seeing people discover the love of Jesus and experience the hope, healing and freedom He brings. This passion is at the heart of her involvement with Anew Retreats, where she loves encouraging and supporting guests as they take time away to rest and spend time with God.

Rod lives in West Yorkshire with his wife and two daughters. He’s a published author of The Real Deal, a speaker and, rather unusually, a professional illusionist!

Having spent 13 years working for Christians Against Poverty, Rod has seen first-hand the difference that encountering Jesus can make in someone’s life. Alongside his love for his family, his greatest passion is helping people discover the hope, truth and freedom that can be found in knowing Jesus.

Rod has a particular heart for people who are hurting, struggling or feeling trapped by their circumstances, and loves seeing lives restored and changed through the love of God.

He is an important part of our Discovery Retreats, where he openly shares his own powerful and very personal journey to faith and freedom. His hope is that, through hearing his story and having space to explore their own, guests will discover more of who Jesus is and what a relationship with Him could mean for their lives.

Ros came to faith at the age of 20 and has since spent much of her working life supporting and encouraging others. She has worked in schools and with several Christian charities, including Christians Against Poverty, Mercy UK and the Joanna Project, supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society.

Creativity is a big part of who Ros is, and she loves helping others discover and enjoy their own creativity too. She is currently writing a book about the unexpected adventure God took her on when she moved to live in the Cook Islands some years ago!

Ros loves listening to people's stories and considers it a real privilege when someone invites her to pray with them. She has a particular heart for encouraging people in their faith and creating space for them to experience the love and presence of Father God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.

Her gentle, creative and encouraging approach makes her a lovely part of the Anew Retreats team, particularly in helping guests feel able to slow down, reflect and simply be themselves.

Mary brings nearly three decades of experience in therapy, training and supervision, working in both Christian and secular settings. Over the years, she has supported many people through trauma, grief, anger and addiction, and more than 20 years ago she researched, developed and founded a successful addiction charity.

Her own journey of faith began in 1989 when she was baptised, rather memorably, in the river at Haworth!

Now retired, Mary still loves connecting with people, hearing their stories and offering a listening ear. She brings a wealth of experience to Anew Retreats, alongside a warm and down-to-earth approach that helps people feel comfortable being themselves.

Away from retreat life, Mary loves travelling - a passion that grew when her children moved to Australia - as well as good food, gardening and taking on new challenges.

Andy grew up in a Christian home and made his own decision to follow Jesus in his teens. Like many people, however, his faith took something of a back seat when he went away to university.

Years later, following the heartbreak of miscarriage experienced by Andy and his wife, Helen, he found himself drawn back into church community and rediscovering a faith that, looking back, he believes God had never let go of.

Since then, Andy has served in all sorts of ways; as a church leader, CAP Money Coach, children's work volunteer and even behind the sound desk! He also regularly volunteers at festivals and other events and enjoys getting stuck in wherever he's needed.

In 2026, Andy retired from a long career in IT, giving him more time for the things he enjoys and the people and causes that matter to him.

Outside of church and volunteering, Andy is a keen martial artist and both teaches and practises karate, having achieved an impressive 4th Dan black belt. He also loves travelling and skiing.

Andy brings a practical, grounded approach to the Anew Retreats team, alongside an understanding that our journeys with God aren't always straightforward — and that sometimes the most difficult seasons of our lives can become part of finding our way back to Him.

Helen became a Christian in her early forties, during a time when she was struggling with forgiveness. It was through that experience that God became very real to her, beginning a relationship with Jesus that would go on to reshape both her priorities and the direction of her life.

As a Chartered Accountant, Helen spent many years balancing a busy professional career with a growing desire to use her skills and experience to help others. In 2013, that led her to join Christians Against Poverty as a Debt Centre Manager - a role she continues to love, particularly the opportunity it gives her to support people through difficult circumstances and share the hope she has found in Jesus.

Helen is married to fellow Anew Retreats team member Andy, and family is a huge part of their lives. In 2021, they moved to Leeds to be closer to their two grown-up children and their families and, importantly, to become very hands-on grandparents!

When they're not working, volunteering or grandparenting, Helen and Andy share a love of travelling and skiing.

Helen brings warmth, compassion and plenty of life experience to the Anew team, together with a particular understanding of forgiveness and the difference encountering Jesus can make, even when faith hasn't always been part of your story.

James and Jen have been married for over 26 years and have three children. Like most couples, they’ve experienced the joys, pressures, changes and challenges of marriage and family life, and continue to learn what it means to keep God at the centre of it all.

For more than a decade, they’ve served together in pastoral care and ministry within their local church and are now both part of the pastoral team. James has a particular heart for men’s ministry and mentoring, while Jen has a strong heart for prayer and intercession.

James is also a therapeutic counsellor, working with individuals and couples through a wide range of life and relationship difficulties, including marriage counselling and supporting couples through times of crisis.

Together, James and Jen love creating spaces where people can be honest about life, relationships and faith without feeling they need to have everything together. They bring warmth, conversation, prayer and plenty of laughter, sharing from their own experiences while recognising that they, too, are still very much on the journey.

Katie is a lively, sociable member of the team who loves people and community. She currently works with Christians Against Poverty and Ashby Youth for Christ, alongside enjoying netball, playing the harp and spending time with family and friends.

With an Honours Degree in Social & Professional Studies in Learning Difficulties, Katie spent nearly ten years volunteering and working in this field before taking time out to raise her three children.

Katie became a Christian in 2008 and has a real passion for seeing the local church make a difference in its community and helping others discover the hope and joy she has found in knowing Jesus.

Growing up on the north-east coast gave Julia a lifelong love of the outdoors, from long walks on the beach to hiking in the Lake District and, more recently, discovering the joys (and challenges!) of taking gardening a little more seriously.

Julia previously worked for Youth for Christ and Christians Against Poverty and spent many years as part of the leadership team at her local church.

Now retired, she has more time to explore different areas of ministry and to live out the words of Micah 6:8: “to act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

Julia brings a calm, thoughtful presence to the Anew team, along with a genuine love for people, faith and the simple pleasure of walking alongside others.

Sue lives in Bridlington with her husband and, since retiring from primary school teaching, has discovered a real passion for using creativity as a way of connecting with God and learning to hear His voice in new ways.

She particularly loves art journalling and has run creative workshops encouraging others to explore their faith through art, reflection and creative expression. For Sue, it’s not about being “good at art”, it’s about having the freedom to play, experiment and enjoy the process.

Sue loves helping people rediscover the joy and peace that can come through creativity, while creating space to connect with God in a different and often unexpected way.

She brings a wonderfully creative and encouraging presence to the Anew team - and absolutely no artistic ability is required!

Wanda began her career in senior retail management, where she developed a wealth of experience in leadership, coaching and supporting others. She later worked for the Church of England in the Diocese of York before retiring.

She has been an active member of St Michael le Belfrey in York since committing to follow Jesus in her mid-thirties and has a particular passion for prayer and seeing the Holy Spirit bring transformation in people’s lives.

Wanda is one of Anew’s trusted advisors and also leads devotionals on some of our retreats, bringing wisdom, encouragement and a deep love of seeing God at work in people and communities.

Outside of all that, there’s another great love in Wanda’s life - her cat, Toby!

Alison is a follower of Jesus with many years of experience in church and ministry leadership, including youth ministry and strategic church leadership.

Having previously worked as a Speech and Language Therapist, she is now a Senior Accredited Therapeutic Christian Life Coach, pastoral and coach supervisor, and trainer, most recently at Waverley Abbey College.

Alison brings a wealth of experience in supporting, encouraging and developing others and is one of Anew Retreats’ trusted advisors, offering wisdom and insight behind the scenes.

She lives with her husband in South West Wales and loves making the most of life - preferably with a joyful smile, plenty of fresh sea air and time spent enjoying the beautiful Welsh coast.

Ellie has had faith in Jesus since she was six years old and has carried that faith with her through all the different seasons of life.

She is CEO of Christian mental health charity Kintsugi Hope and has spent more than 20 years working with a focus on people and culture. Along the way, she has gained a wealth of experience in supporting people through life’s challenges - including navigating a few of her own.

Ellie brings kindness and warmth to her conversations and has a lovely ability to simply hold space for people, allowing them to be heard without feeling they need to have everything figured out.

She’s also full of fun wherever possible! Permanently on the verge of becoming a runner, Ellie is rather more committed to swimming and a good sauna at the end of the day.