We are thrilled to announce the appointment of three new members of the diocesan From Lament to Action Group: Lisa Westlake, Sharon Brien, and Kamaria Ferguson. Each brings not only a wealth of expertise but also a genuine passion for advancing racial justice within our diocese. As volunteers, they will play an invaluable role as critical friends, offering guidance, constructive challenge, and thoughtful support to help the diocese fulfil its commitment to making positive change.
The Lament to Action Group was established in response to the national church report, "From Lament to Action", and the subsequent initiative led by the Archbishops' Anti-Racism Taskforce. This initiative aims to confront institutional racism and foster meaningful cultural transformation across the Church. The Bath and Wells group is committed to helping bring about tangible, and structural change within our diocese. In 2025 a Racial Justice Audit was carried out by our Racial Justice Adviser, Anira Khokhar. She carried out a series of in-depth interviews and listening sessions with people across the diocese to explore racial justice. A detailed report sharing the findings has now been published and work on its recomendations has begun.
Our new members join Anira Khokhar, Diocesan Racial Justice Adviser; Narinder Tegally, Diocesan Interfaith Adviser; Jonathan Philpott, Mission Development Team Leader and Jenny Hollingsworth, Diocesan Secretary. Together, the new members bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience to our shared mission.
Welcoming our the new members, Narinder said, "As a dedicated member of the From Lament to Action Group for nine years, supporting the diocese in raising awareness of racial justice, I am delighted to welcome Lisa, Sharon and Kamaria. Their appointment reflects how far we have come, and it is a real encouragement to see their commitment and experience strengthening this vital work.
"Together, we continue to place racial justice at the heart of our diocesan life -seeking not only to listen, but to act with courage, honesty and hope."
Sharon Brien
Sharon was born and raised in South East London. She built her early career in IT, for finance, and telecoms. After many years in these fields, her professional life took a different turn when she was made redundant. Embracing change, Sharon explored new paths. These helped Sharon realise the breadth of her abilities and the value she placed on meaningful, community-based work. Sharon also discovered a passion for gardening.
Alongside her working life, Sharon has been deeply involved in voluntary work within the local community and at Wells Cathedral. These include the Somerset African Caribbean Network, Wells Cathedral Racial Justice and Transatlantic Slavery Groups. In these roles, she brings both lived experience and a collaborative spirit, offering insight, raising important questions, and supporting others in thinking through long-term change. Sharon shares why she was prompted to join the From Lament to Action Group, in the video below.
Kamaria Ferguson
Kamaria grew up in Bristol. For the past 13 years she has worked as a social worker in the city. Throughout her working life Kamaria says she has had to navigating complex situations, manage risk, and working closely with individuals facing trauma, inequality, and marginalisation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kamaria served as a member of the advisory board for Humanitarian Bristol, contributing to strengthened governance and promoting culturally appropriate support for a range of communities. She was able to work with the group to expanded their awareness of structural inequalities which, she says, reaffirmed her conviction that genuine change depends on both compassion and strong, effective systems. Kamaria shares why she wanted to join the group in the video below.
Lisa Westlake
Lisa has dedicated her career to supporting displaced people, most recently through her leadership of large government programmes at Somerset Council. She spearheaded the development and delivery of refugee and asylum support services, bringing together multi-agency partnerships and directing significant government funding. Drawing on her experience of guiding teams in both frontline and strategic roles, she cultivated an approach that balanced policy implementation with culturally sensitive, relational support for individuals and families facing complex transitions.
Previously, Lisa was instrumental in founding CHARIS Refugees, a Somerset charity established in 2016. Serving as both trustee and Operations Director, she worked to empower Community Sponsorship of refugee families throughout the South West. Her work involved shaping training programmes, supporting volunteers, contributing to national policy discussions, and forging partnerships across church, statutory, and voluntary sectors. From these experiences, Lisa developed a collaborative ethos, facilitating conversations among diverse groups, always with a focus on supporting vulnerable individuals within local communities. Lisa shares more about her reasons for wanting to be a part of the From Lament to Action Group in the video below.