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War Cry World
Bear tells Louis: Prayer gives me strength
ADVENTURER Bear Grylls described prayer as an ‘anchor’ in his life during an interview with Louis Theroux.
In an episode of the Louis Theroux Interviews documentary series on BBC2, Bear said that he starts his day with prayer, which he uses as an opportunity to ‘say thank you and say sorry for the things I’ve messed up, and ask for a bit of strength for the day ahead’.
He explained that after his prayers he completes his daily exercises.
‘Those are two anchors in my life,’ he said.
In the episode, which was broadcast on Tuesday (15 November), Bear told Louis that he had become more open about his Christian faith in recent years.
‘I’m less nervous to be able to tell the truth of things that have helped me in my life and the fact that I do need help in my life,’ he said.
Plane charity takes princess to meet refugees
THE Princess Royal was flown to refugee camps by Christian charity Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) in a four-day tour of Uganda.
On the tour, which marked 60 years of Ugandan independence, the princess visited two camps, including Nakivale, which is supported by Christian charity Opportunity International. Nakivale is home to about 122,000 refugees, many of whom had fled conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While at Nakivale, the princess met representatives from the Unleashed Youth Employment Group, a refugee-led organisation that teaches young people entrepreneurial skills and helps them to launch their own businesses with loans from Opportunity Bank.
MAF pilot Dave Forney said: ‘This MAF flight is one of many I have flown to deliver help, hope and healing to refugee communities across Uganda. Flying the princess is a privilege, and it’s wonderful that she’s using her position to illuminate the plight of those fleeing for their lives, assuring them that they are not forgotten.’
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MAF’s Dave Forney (left) flew the Princess Royal to Nakivale
Clothing scheme fits the bill
MORE than 1,000 people have benefited from a Salvation Army clothing scheme in Blackpool that aims to alleviate cost of living pressures on vulnerable people.
The Community Wardrobe, run by The Salvation Army’s Blackpool Citadel church, has helped 1,672 people in the past year. Many have been referred from its onsite Bridge Project, which supports people experiencing homelessness, and from the UK’s refugee and asylum seeker programme. The scheme, which is run by volunteers, relies on clothing donations and financial contributions to keep going.
Captain Naomi Clifton, a leader of The Salvation Army in Blackpool, said: ‘Our service provides a level of dignity. We give people a choice, we let them come in and choose for themselves what suits them. All our clients, no matter their background, have been through an immense amount of trauma in their lives and one of the basic human needs is clothing. So we will do anything that we can do to help their situation.
‘While providing people with a much-needed service, it also reduces clothing waste. We take in pre-loved items in good condition to stop them from going into landfill.’
Church aims to help to buy
THE Church of England has committed £2 million to its social and sustainable housing fund to support charities that are providing accommodation to vulnerable people.
The fund aims to raise £125 million, which would enable more than 30 organisations to purchase 1,000 properties, providing highquality homes and targeted support for 10,000 people who need extra help or those who are at risk of experiencing homelessness.
The charities set to benefit from the fund focus on issues such as domestic abuse, mental health, addiction, asylum support and young adults leaving the care system.
Holmes is where the heart is
Sherlock’s sister keeps detective work in the family in Netflix drama
Film feature by Emily Bright
THE game is afoot. In detective film Enola Holmes 2, which is now
available on Netflix, Enola (Millie Bobbie Brown), Sherlock’s sister, is determined to become an outstanding sleuth in her own right. After solving a high-profile case, aged 16, while searching for her missing mother, she has now set up her own detective agency.
In a sexist world, that’s easier said than done. Everything, though, changes when a girl working in a match factory asks for help in locating her missing sister. Enola is determined to unlock the mystery but, as always, she’ll face some formidable adversaries along the way. While she’s smart and capable, she’ll need all the help she can get from her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter), brother Sherlock (Henry Cavill) and friend Tewkesbury (Louis Partridge) to crack the case. At the end of the day, she knows she can rely on her family and friends when it matters most. Helena Bonham Carter says: ‘While Eudoria still Self-reliance wants her daughter to be her own person, to be independent, self-sufficient and formidable, now is tempting she is saying, “but don’t forget to connect with others and you’ll be much stronger as a team”. That’s a message for all of us.’
Although self-reliance is tempting, it’s not always the best course. While going his own way in life, the first-century truth-seeker Paul found faith in Jesus, God’s Son. From then on Paul spread the message of God’s love for humankind – but not without help from others.
Recognising a key truth, he wrote to a group of fellow Christians: ‘In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if … your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously’ (Romans 12:6 and 8 New Living Translation). Paul recognised that he couldn’t do everything on his own and needed help from God and others.
While life has its challenges, if we ask for God’s help, he can give us the resources and capabilities to get through them. He can also put people in our lives who can support us in our times of trouble. There’s no problem that we can’t solve with him.
Dementia sessions aim t
AFTER a small group of people
living in an extra-care housing scheme in Yorkshire developed dementia, the charity in charge of the homes, Pilgrims’ Friend Society, decided to do something to support them.
Louise Morse, a cognitive behavioural therapist who also works for the Christian charity, was asked to produce something that would help.
Over a Zoom call from her home in south Wales, Louise tells me that Pilgrims’ Friend Society was founded more than 200 years ago by a group of Christians in London to meet the needs of older people ‘at a time when conditions for them were absolutely dire, when there were no pensions and no social support’.
Its work has continued and developed. About 10 years ago, to help the group of people in Yorkshire who were living with dementia, Louise and colleague Janet Jacob, a former psychogeriatric nurse, produced Brain and Soul Boosting.
The workbook – which was updated this year – has been designed to be used by groups, who are guided by facilitators through sessions that strengthen participants’ cognition.
‘The programme is made up of a series of one-hour sessions,’ explains Louise. ‘One session, for example, is on bread. It would begin with a welcome and a time
Cognitive behavioural therapist LOUISE MORSE co-wrote a workbook designed to help people living with dementia to improve their mental state. She explains how it came about and why it has been effective Interview by Sarah Olowofoyeku
in which the group can share with each build relationships with one another. other about how their week has been, Their confidence increased. Some were and then there is a prayer. Next the group able to find their own ways back to their look at a current news item – maybe the apartments, which they hadn’t been able price of bread has shot up – and to do before. They were remembering Their mental discuss that. Then there is a quiz on which countries different types the day and the room that we met in.’ It worked so well that the resource capacities of bread come from. By that was made available to anybody who improved point, everybody is participating. Then the session moves on to wanted it, and it is now being used across the country. Scripture, and the group can Louise says that the programme is discuss how Jesus is – as he said he was effective because each session runs – “the bread of life” that we all need.’ on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) Louise says that right back when the principles, ‘which are the nearest to first group of people started using the scriptural principles of all the counselling resource, the effect was noticeable. approaches’. ‘We found that their mental capacities She explains that CBT helps people improved. They began to speak and to look at the way they are thinking and
Louise Morse
to boost brain power
consider whether there is any evidence to support the way that they are thinking.
‘Usually there isn’t any evidence. They have a cognitive distortion that has muddled their thinking,’ she says.
Louise has had personal experience with the workbook. She is ‘accompanying a dear friend on the dementia journey with her husband’. Last year, she says, he stopped talking and would just smile.
‘My friend was deeply grieved by that, so I took her the workbook and suggested that she tried it with him. She left it on the table, intending to lead him through it at some point. But a few days later he had picked it up, started to read it, and he ended up talking again and leading them all the way through it himself.’
While each session discusses a topic from the Bible, Louise says that people of all faiths and none can participate. But the Bible content, she believes, leads participants to a principle
that is important for everyone. ‘I feel that it’s important for every person on God’s Earth to People of all know Jesus Christ, because he is the way, the truth and faiths and none the life,’ she says. ‘Jesus didn’t harp on at people with can participate his truth, though – he was the truth. He stood there and said: accept me or not.’ More than knowing just spiritual principles, Louise has known the power of faith in her life, most notably when in a short space of time she was bereaved of her youngest son and a grandson to whom she was close. She says: ‘I remember sitting at my kitchen table, saying, “God, I don’t think I can cope. It’s just too much. I don’t know how to put one foot in front of the other.” But the presence of God was so real, and it was in his strength that I was able to get through.’ Louise’s faith inspires her to help others, whether through her counselling services or the workbook. She hopes that this new edition of Brain and Soul Boosting ‘will be widely used and we’ll see more reports of people’s brains being stimulated’.
A group take part in a ‘Brain and Soul Boosting’ session
l For more information
visit pilgrimsfriend.org.uk
Diet expert finds crucial ingredient
Slimming club founder ROSEMARY CONLEY describes the thrill of building a business, the pain of losing it and the hope she finds in God
Interview by Claire Brine
BEFORE she found success with her bestselling Hip and Thigh Diet, which led to the launch of hundreds entitled Rosemary Conley’s Complete Hip and Thigh Diet. Together of slimming clubs nationwide, diet and the books went on fitness expert Rosemary Conley felt to sell more than two that her life couldn’t be any worse. million copies worldwide,
‘It was the start of 1986 and everything making Rosemary a was a mess,’ she says, when we meet household name. online to discuss her autobiography, ‘It was bonkers,’ she Through Thick and Thin. ‘My marriage had laughs. ‘I’d been in the failed, I had a business that was closing, dieting business for my relationship with my boyfriend Mike 17 years, having run my had come to an end and I was at the point own slimming clubs, of needing to sell my house. but now I was seen as
‘A few weeks later, when I ended up an overnight sensation. in hospital with a gallstone problem, Newspapers were the surgeon suggested that I have an throwing money at me to operation to remove my gall bladder. I write columns for them knew that I didn’t have time for surgery, and queueing up to as I was in the middle of winding down buy serialisation rights a business. I asked him if there was to my next book. I was anything else I could do to improve my having an absolute ball.’ health. His reply was that I’d have to eat In 1993, in the wake virtually no fat. So I said: “OK then, that’s of her books’ success, what I’ll do.”’ Rosemary launched
Determined to avoid major surgery, the Rosemary Conley Rosemary embarked on a low-fat diet. Diet and Fitness Clubs Very quickly she lost 6lb – and couldn’t to provide support for the slimmers believe the difference to her appearance. following her low-fat eating plan. At its
‘I lost weight from my peak, the national network previously voluptuous hips of clubs, which operated and thighs,’ she says. ‘I as a franchise, had some thought: “Wow! Not only am I 70,000 members. avoiding an operation, but this ‘I wanted us to have diet is giving me a set of hips the best classes in the and thighs I never dreamt of.” country,’ says Rosemary. So I wrote a book about it.’ ‘Every one of our teachers
Rosemary Conley’s Hip and Thigh Diet, was a qualified fitness instructor, which published in 1988, became a Sunday was unheard of back then. It was Times bestseller, prompting Rosemary expensive to train up all the franchisees, to publish a sequel the following year, but it mattered to me that we got it right.
There was no way I was going to sell something that I didn’t believe in. I had to know our approach would work for I would never people. Over the years, the business grew and we ended up training more than 800 judge someone diet and exercise teachers.’ As well as establishing a chain of on their size successful slimming clubs, Rosemary launched the Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness magazine. Television appearances had also become a staple in her life, with Rosemary regularly dishing out low-fat advice on ITV’s This Morning, alongside presenters Richard Madeley and Judy
Rosemary Conley has been helping slimmers since the 1970s
Rosemary’s books made her a household name
Finnigan. Whenever the cameras stopped rolling, her mind would turn to ideas for her next book.
‘During my career I’ve written 36 books and presented 30 fitness videos and DVDs,’ she says. ‘The reason I think my videos sold in their millions was because I wasn’t terribly good in them. I wasn’t a dancer. I wasn’t a fitness presenter who did complicated choreography. I was just like the people who bought them, like Sandra next door or Millie up the road.’
Ever since Rosemary launched her first slimming club in 1971, called Slimming and Good Grooming, her ability to relate to her members has been important to her. She knows what it’s like to gain weight and feel unhappy about it. She also understands that comfort eating doesn’t make things better.
‘Fifty years ago I gained around two and a half stone, and I really hated it,’ she says. ‘But I made myself fatter and fatter by comfort eating, and that only made me feel worse. Later I realised that I was bingeing because my
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marriage wasn’t terribly happy. And once now the chairman of your life – just trust that marriage came to an end, my attitude me.” So I did.’ towards food changed because I felt The next morning, Rosemary woke with differently about my life. I got divorced, a whole new perspective on life. met Mike – who was so kind ‘I felt totally different,’ she and affirming to me – and the bingeing stopped. Then, I knelt by says. ‘Instead of despair, I had an enormous confidence. Mike and when I adopted a low-fat diet, I discovered I could eat my bed I had broken up, but I had a new best friend, a Father God, who really well and keep my and prayed was taking me by the hand and weight constant. – although I didn’t know it – was ‘Today, if I see about to lead me on a journey someone who is significantly beyond belief.’ overweight, I recognise that Shortly after becoming a Christian, it’s not simply a case of them Rosemary felt prompted by God to overeating. Usually there propose to Mike. The couple married is so much more going on several months later and threw – and that’s why I would themselves into growing Rosemary’s never judge someone on enterprise. Life was good. Business their size.’ couldn’t be better. But then, some years However people feel later, Rosemary began to notice a change about their weight, in her husband. Rosemary understands ‘From 1999 to 2003, Mike went through that it’s a sensitive a really bad time and felt he didn’t want topic for many. So to be with me any more,’ she says. when I ask her for the ‘Everything felt so hopeless. one piece of advice ‘But, despite our struggles, I still that she would give to believed that God had brought us somebody who wanted together. Over the next few years, he to get in shape, her held us together – even distantly at response is simple: eat times. Miraculously, Mike and I rebuilt our proper food. relationship, and today we are the closest ‘Counting calories and happiest we have ever been.’ can be a bit tedious, and It’s a story of enduring love that low-fat is out of fashion,’ Rosemary describes with honesty in her she says. ‘So my latest book, and I ask her why she chose to view is that we need to eat share it. proper food: fresh fruit and ‘I wanted to give hope to married vegetables, wholegrain bread, couples,’ she says. ‘If someone believes basmati rice, pasta, live yoghurt. that they are with the right person – and that
If people eat healthily three times a the relationship is God’s will – then I day, without snacking in between, and encourage them not to jack it in when they start doing more exercise, their weight hit bumps in the road. It’s easy to walk will sort itself out. That’s it.’
As well as addressing her struggles with food, Rosemary’s autobiography touches on other personal experiences that have changed her life. In 1986, at the time when she describes her life as being at rock bottom, she became a Christian.
‘While I was in hospital with the gallstone problem I saw an advert for a book called Power for Living,’ she tells me. ‘The book was free and being promoted by people like Cliff Richard and Lord Tonypandy, who was the Speaker in the House of Commons. I realised that if ever there was a time when I needed some power for living, this was it. I’d made a hash of everything on my own.
‘When I got home and read the book, I felt as though each chapter was talking to me about Christianity in a way that I could completely understand. So when I got to the page containing a prayer to ask Jesus into my life, I knelt by my bed and prayed those words for all I was worth. There were no claps of thunder or puffs of smoke, but I felt utterly washed through. God was saying to me: “I am
LIONEL HEAP
Rosemary with husband Mike
away when things are hard, but if couples can work through their problems, I believe they can end up in a much better place.’
Another painful chapter of Rosemary’s life was the closure of her business in 2014. In her autobiography she recalls feeling physically sick the day the administrators arrived at the office, when she finally had to accept that her company ‘had reached the end of the road’.
‘I knew things had been tight financially, but I hadn’t realised how
Leading an exercise class
tight,’ she tells me. ‘We’d lost 25 per cent of our franchisees the previous year. New members weren’t coming in. My prominence in 2014 was nothing like it had been in 1993. And there was a lot of competition out there.
‘It was sad seeing the business go into administration, and having to make colleagues redundant was hard. People wanted someone to blame and some of them were angry. But at no point did I question God as to why this was happening. I felt him right by my side. In some ways, my attitude was that it had to end sometime. I was getting older, and Mike and I had no exit plan. If the business hadn’t closed in 2014, it would have gone down in the Covid lockdown. ‘Although it was awful at the time, I can look back now and see that losing the business was part of
God’s plan. It was as though he was saying: “This will hurt a bit, but I will look after you.” And he did.’
Though her Diet and Fitness Clubs are no more, Rosemary continues to support people wanting to reach a healthy weight and keep fit. Her video-based website, rosemaryconley.com, contains free advice on topics such as nutrition, exercise and ageing well. On Mondays, she also runs a weekly exercise class in her home city of Leicester.
‘It’s the same class I started in the 1970s,’ she says. ‘Some of the ladies have been coming to me for more than 40 years and are in their 80s now. I love them – they are my friends. At the moment I’m not charging for my classes because of the cost of living crisis. I told the women that I needed them, just as much as they needed me. We are all in this together.’
Whatever uncertain times may lie ahead, Rosemary intends to face the future by surrounding herself with friends and family – and immersing herself in faith.
‘Ever since lockdown I’ve made a habit of walking in the woods near my house and praying out loud to God,’ she says. ‘If I’m frustrated about something, I’ll let rip about it. If I need strength, I’ll ask for help. But mainly I’ll say thank you – because my life has been an amazing adventure and God has always been alongside me.’
l Through Thick and
