5^th October 2005

Dear Torch Fellowship Groups Committees,

I am writing to each of you to introduce David Palmer, who joined on 3^rd October as our new National Fellowship Leader.

It’s over two years now since we first felt a leading to recruit a leader to work from Torch House exclusively to support the vital regional work across the UK. Carol Nokes, supported by her husband Brian, have provided much of the support to the Fellowship Groups along with Janet and Michael Stafford, Mike and Edith Townsend, the Torch choir and many others, and they will all continue to do so. But each of the people involved has other responsibilities that make major demands on them, and we have all recognised that it needs more focused effort if we are to grow the network of Fellowship Groups and sustain those that need more support and encouragement.

For these past two years we have communicated this need and prayed that God would send us the person he has been preparing to do this. David is we believe God’s man for this role.

David and his wife Marie have known Torch over a number of years and actually worked on Torch staff for a short period a few years back. Since then David has held pastoral roles with churches in Oxford and Chorleywood. David’s vision for the work resonates with our own and we believe God has been equipping him through his experiences of recent years. David, Marie and their 9-year old son Simon, moved back to Market Harborough in September..

David will be wanting to meet with as many as possible of you in the coming weeks and months, but do remember, there are 130 groups (and growing) so some of those opportunities to meet will come through regional activities. We are committed to work with coordinators to develop a stronger regional structure to our work, which will support the Fellowship Groups and strengthen our links with churches.

David will be working closely with Carol in her role as Torch Fellowship Group secretary and I will be giving my own support to establishing David within the UK work of Torch.

The work of our Fellowship Groups has never been more vital. Many blind and partially sighted people have isolated and colourless lives, lacking the warmth of community and fellowship that Christian are uniquely able to provide.

The Groups are amazingly significant in the lives of those who come to them – and there are so many who have yet to discover a Group they can go to – or who live in places where there are no Groups.

For the work of Torch across the UK, I believe this is a milestone. Please join me in praying for David as he shoulders this responsibility.

Yours in Christ’s service

Dr Gordon Temple

Chief Executive