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Speakers for assemblies, lessons, talks or debates
Variety is the spice of life - and Derby is very fortunate in having communities from a wide variety of different backgrounds.
Why do we offer a speaker panel?
The modern RE syllabus is very different from the one that pupils encountered one or two generations ago. The emphasise is now on learning about different belief systems rather than instructing in any particular religion. Both the Derby City and Derbyshire County RE syllabuses recognise the importance of teaching about theist and non-theist world views - the beliefs of those who do not believe in gods as well as those who do.
Some schools are very fortunate and they can call on local speakers from a wide variety of different belief backgrounds. Others are less fortunate and find themselves in a fairly mono-cultural environment.
Our speaker panel is designed to help by providing speakers from a wide variety of theist and non-theist backgrounds. The Open Centre believes that good community relations are best fostered through understanding and personal experience - not through ignorance and prejudice. We therefore encourage schools to ensure that their pupils have an opportunity to hear and question those from a wide variety of belief backgrounds.
Some of our speakers are experienced teachers and they can provide a wide range of services: primary school assemblies, primary school workshops, secondary schools lessons/talks and senior school/college debates.
Many of our speakers give their time free of charge while others make a small charge along with a request for expenses.
Our terms when booking speakers
Our speakers reflect different attitudes toward religion, belief and community.
- The Open Center provides a link between schools and speakers.
- The views of speakers are theirs alone - they do not represent the views of The Open Centre. The Open Centre is not responsible in any way for the views expressed by speakers.
- Each speaker provides a presentation to an Open Centre Trustee/Director and/or the Chief Executive before they visit schools.
- The Open Centre does not censor ideas - but we want those who use our services to be absolutely clear what they are getting - hence the detail in our speaker list below.
- The Open Centre remains neutral with respect to all ideas associated with religion and belief. However:
Derby Open Centre opposes all ideas that may cause harm to others or
lead to any form of discrimination against others.
- Speakers are CRB checked.
- We recommend that schools make contact with a speaker (via us) before booking a first presentation. Schools may also like to invite speakers to make an informal visit to the school for a chat before a first presentation.
- Schools remain in charge of, and legally responsible for, their pupils at all times - either when visiting The Open Centre or when inviting speakers into school.
- Some of our speakers are qualified teachers and happy to lead a class lesson. Others prefer the lesson to be led by a teacher while they contribute information and answer questions.
Our current panel and our terms
Note about fees
The Open Centre may charge an administration fee of £20 to make arrangements with each speaker but there is nothing to prevent schools making direct contact with speakers if they so wish. There may be additional fees for some speakers and some may request travelling expenses. Full details are shown for each speaker below.
More speakers required
Please see the section below about our search for more speakers
| Speaker |
Background and items offered |
| Nahida Begum |
Nahida is a Muslim and a member of the Open Centre staff.
She can provide talks on Islamic traditions and culture covering diet, dress, food, birth and death rituals, artifacts, festivals, basic beliefs, marriage and divorce.
She is happy to do a presentation on any particular topic or to present an overall view of Islam.
| Fee: | £75 inclusive of administration fee |
| Travelling expenses: | 40p per mile |
| Area covered: | Derby and Derbyshire |
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| Norman Cruice |
Norman is an ex-Catholic, now a humanist (atheist).
Please click here for a biography and more details on the things Norman can provide.
| Fee: | £20 Open Centre administration fee if booked through the Centre - no other charge |
| Travelling expenses: | No charge |
| Area covered: | Derby and South Derbyshire, North Leicestershire, East Staffs |
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| Diana Garrett |
Diana is a Noachide, a gentile group within Judaism.
She can provide talks on Judaic customs, beliefs, oral tradition, and day-to-day living concepts including dress, food, artifacts, festivals, and the lifecycle rituals. Diana is also willing to provide talks on wider issues from a traditional Judaic point of view, such as gender, abortion, money, the meaning of existance, the enviornment, and other similar issues. She is able to provide for activites and assemblies at Early Years and Primary years, as well discussions and debates at Secondary and University level.
She is happy to do a presentation or assembly on a particular topic or to give an overall view of Judaism and the main groups within it.
| Fee: | £70 inclusive of administration fee |
| Travelling expenses: | 40p per mile |
| Area covered: | Derby and Derbyshire, West Notts., East Staffs., Leicestershire, and Yorkshire. |
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| Mike Lake |
Mike is a qualified teacher, Trustee Director of the Open Centre and a humanist (atheist).
Comment from an RE teacher at a Derby secondary school:
"Mike's talk on a non-theist view of life was the most challenging Year 11 have ever had -
they were still talking about it weeks afterwards. Highly recommended."
Comment from sixth formers doing General Studies at a Swadlincote secondary school:
"The best talk we've ever had."
Comment from a senior visitor from Derbyshire Police following a Cultural Awareness Day discussion:
"Mike certainly took us outside our comfort zone and generated some very thoughtful discussion."
Please click here for a biography and more details on the things Mike can provide.
| Fee: | £20 Open Centre administration fee if booked through the Centre - no other charge |
| Travelling expenses: | No charge |
| Area covered: | Derby and Derbyshire, Leicestershire, West Notts, East Staffs |
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| Angie Lawrence |
Angie is a Christian and a member of the Open Centre staff.
She can provide talks on Black History, Caribbean story telling, food, culture and beliefs. She is happy to compare her own Christian beliefs with those of mainstream Christianity.
| Fee: | £75 inclusive of administration fee |
| Travelling expenses: | 40p per mile |
| Area covered: | Derby and Derbyshire |
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| Sanjukta Sahu |
Sanjukta is a Hindu and a member of the Open Centre staff.
She can provide talks on Hindu traditions and culture covering diet, dress, food, birth and death rituals, artifacts, festivals, basic beliefs, marriage and divorce.
She is happy to do a presentation on any particular topic or to present an overall view of Hinduism
| Fee: | £75 inclusive of administration fee |
| Travelling expenses: | 40p per mile |
| Area covered: | Derby and Derbyshire |
|
| Ron Scot |
Ron is a Liberal Jew and a member of the Nottingham Progressive Jewish Synagogue. He says about himself:
"For the last 5 years I have been the School Visit Coordinator for the Synagogue with a small team of tutors. We see between 1000 and 2000 school pupils visiting the Synagogue every year and go out to take classes or assemblies about 10 times a year. During the last year this has included a Muslim primary school who also visited the synagogue."
"I have spoken on Judaism to the Multi Faith Centre at Derby University, and to adult and 6th Form groups. I have also run Passover Seders for church and informal Christian groups, as well as having trained one church group to do their own."
"I am prepared to speak to any group of children or adults who have any interest in understanding Judaism and its relation to other religions."
His background details are: 74 years old. Working life - Army Technician Apprentice (15) and a subsequent 12 years service in REME. A few years in sales followed by Teacher Training (Certificate) at Bishop Lonsdale College in Derby. 11Years teaching in secondary schools, although junior trained, as Head of Careers. 20 years running a business selling counselling services to employers for their staff and providing stress auditing and management training for employers.
| Fee: | £50 (£20 Open Centre administration fee plus £30 donation for the Synagogue) |
| Travelling expenses: | No charge |
| Area covered: | Derby, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire |
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We need more speakers!
We welcome applications from new speakers for all faith, non-faith and community backgrounds. To join our panel you need:
- To be interested in, and informed about, the topic you represent. This can be anything that you feel represents an aspect of your community life, the history of your community or your beliefs.
- To be CRB checked. Everyone working with children needs to be checked through the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) and, with your consent, we can organise this for you.
- To be available. You may be able to manage only one session a month (a couple of hours including travelling time) or you may have more free time to do more. Almost all work is during the day - term time for schools - but there may be some opportunities to speak to groups in the evenings.
- To decide which geographical area you can reasonably cover - how far you are willing to travel.
- To provide a brief biography (maximum 500 words) and outline the topics you are happy to deal with.
- To be able to give the sort of talk that will keep pupils and adults interested.
Pupils are easily bored if they do not understand things - and they hate being lectured at. They like to be involved in what they are learning and we can help you to get your information across in an interesting manner.
We ask all speakers to give us an example of the talks they would like to give so that we can comment and make suggestions for improvements if necessary. We are here to help, not to censor.
Please contact us if you would like to represent your community or beliefs to pupils and/or adults in Derby and Derbyshire.
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