Nicola Thomas has been appointed as the new Head of Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation (JPIC), which is part of the Southwark Diocesan Mission Team. Nicola was, until recently, Deputy Director of Refugee Integration and Vulnerability at the Home Office
Nicola tells as a little about herself:
I have worked as a civil servant for 20 years, mostly in the area of asylum and immigration. Most recently, I worked in a fantastic jobsharing arrangement where together we created the community sponsorship scheme for resettled refugees. I am very proud of this work and loved visiting sponsorship groups and the families they resettled, witnessing the transformative power of welcoming strangers not just for the resettled families but also for those communities welcoming them.
I grew up in Ireland and am a practising Roman Catholic, currently active in the parish church of St Cecilia’s in North Cheam. I am also a trustee of the Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN), which is an agency of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales. In recent months like everyone else we have been seeing the impact of Covid-19 on the lives of vulnerable people. I am also passionate about choral music, in particular music in the English Cathedral tradition, and have been a member of the very excellent choir at St Peter’s, Streatham for 20 years. Great experiences with my friends there have included singing a number of services at Southwark Cathedral and other cathedrals in the UK.
