Greater London and East Anglia Mediation (GLEAMED)

The CMC is delighted to announce the appointment of Tom Thomas OBE as its new Deputy Chair, following the end of Katie Bradford’s term of office on the Board. Tom will join the Board of Directors ex officio at its next Board meeting. He already sits on the CMC’s Government Relations Committee and was previously a member of its Communications Committee and Registration and Standards Committee.

Tom is a registered civil, commercial and workplace mediator and participates in community mediation. He is founder of Greater London and East Anglia Mediation and was previously Co-Chair of the National Mediation Helpline Providers Forum. He is an active campaigner for raising awareness of mediation and for developing standards that satisfy concerns about consumer protection and the quality assurance of mediation services.

Probate Fees Increase probate fees; Ministry of Justice; Grant of Probate; probate registry

A good start to the year...

What can mediators do, as we move into 2017, to help address the widening cracks in society revealed in 2016, including in politics, employment, between races, genders and generations, and the increased polarisation and potential for radicalisation arising from a sense of isolation and alienation in some communities. As uncertainty over the outcome of BREXIT and other economy-driven spending cuts, an aging population, and other demographic changes, increase the pressure on education, health, social care, prisons, transport, housing and other public services, and widen the gap between rich and poor, so self and group interests increasingly come to the fore - but if we allow them to pull us apart there will be more losers than winners. Better to pull together and find a consensus for solutions workable for all. Mediation can significantly facilitate this process by helping to end disputes and shape solutions acceptable to all across a wide spectrum of personal, social, community, business and political issues from the lowest to highest levels. Now more than ever, society needs to turn to its pool of trained, experienced and skilled mediators to help unpack and address the many diverse issues facing us. We stand ready.