Leader and Chair of Trustees

Betsy trained as a performer at the Italia Conti Academy and started her career dancing overseas. She has extensive experience as an arts and theatre producer, including five years producing work for new audiences for the Royal National Theatre. She has produced and performed for many other theatre companies, working with many prestigious figures in the theatre world. She founded and ran Factotum Theatre Company which took theatre into areas of the UK with little or no access to professional theatre and worked extensively in arts-in-education and projects in prisons and retirement homes. She has also written educational plays for BBC radio.

After achieving a first-class Bachelor of Theology degree at Oxford she was ordained into the Church of England in 2003. Since ordination she has worked in parishes across London, with a specialism in urban ministry, and establishing new and innovative projects, particularly around the arts. Betsy took up the newly created post of Pioneer Minister in the Arts in Nine Elms in 2018 and founded Nine Elms Arts Ministry.

TRUSTEE

A strong advocate for the mission of Nine Elms Arts Ministry since its inception in 2018, Nora is an experienced solicitor who has worked on a range of corporate, commercial, and regulatory matters, mainly in the financial services sector. Qualified in 2001, she spent over 20 years at international law firms in London and most recently worked at an international information & analytics company. Nora is a songwriter, composer, and jazz pianist, passionate about music and all forms of creativity and arts. A dedicated Christian, she is active in her local church in Southwest London and leads local prayer groups.

Secretary and Treasurer

Born in Guyana, Sarita has been living in south London since 1987. In her 30’s and whilst raising her two children Sarita returned to studying and trained as a Social Worker working with Looked After Children and Foster Carers.  She was Parish Administrator & Finance Co-ordinator at St Barnabas, Clapham Common for twelve years. She is currently the Operations Manager at St Peter’s Battersea. Sarita loves enabling mission and ministry that promotes hope, love and peace and is keen to support the work of Nine Elms Arts Ministry.

Gilly is a passionate advocate for the arts and spirituality, with a career spanning both fields.

After completing her degree in Dance and Theology, Gilly taught Contemporary dance in Westminster for many years, sharing her love of movement and creativity with her students. She is currently training for ordination, and from June 2023 will be a curate in a church in South London, Gilly is also school Chaplain, providing guidance and spiritual support to young people. Gilly was a founder member of the ‘Abundant’ nightclub in London in the 1990s. Gilly believes deeply in the power of the arts to engage and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds. She brings her dedication to community, experience, and commitment to the mission of Nine Elms Arts Ministry.