Sharon Barr, Safeguarding Officer for the United Reformed Church (URC)  Wessex Synod, has been appointed the Designated Safeguarding Lead for the denomination.

Sharon has been offering limited cover as Interim Safeguarding Lead since February, following a series of changes in the department.

Sharon has extensive experience working with children, young people, and adults within the voluntary, charity, and local authority sectors ranging from direct delivery to strategic management.

The post comes under the remit of the Revd Adrian Bulley, Deputy General Secretary (Discipleship), who said: “Over the past nine months, Sharon has been covering certain elements of the Designated Safeguarding Lead role in a limited capacity. She has proved worth her weight in gold and has worked hard to build effective relationships with colleagues in Church House and elsewhere. She will be a great asset within the discipleship team, and I look forward to working with her in this new way.”

Speaking about her appointment and vision for the department, Sharon added: “I feel privileged to be able to take on the role of Designated Safeguarding Lead for the URC, working alongside the Discipleship Team and the amazing team of Synod Safeguarding Officers. Safeguarding those that access the URC’s breadth of churches, events and activities is the whole denomination’s responsibility and my aim will be to support understanding and implementation of this.”

_{Published: 6 December 2021}