Professor Simon Keyes

Biography

Since reading Zoology at Oxford, Simon’s career has been largely pursued in NGOs concerned with developing new initiatives in the areas of homelessness, mental health and crime prevention. He was Director of Shelter’s Housing Aid Services and set up the Revolving Doors Agency which successfully pioneered new approaches to helping people with mental health problems in the criminal justice system. He was the first Director of Lambeth Crime Prevention Trust and then moved to the World Community for Christian Meditation, organising the 'The Way of Peace 2000' interfaith initiative with HH The Dalai Lama in Northern Ireland.

Simon was Director of St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace from 2004 to 2014 and is now its Fellow in Reconciliation. Whilst at St Ethelburga’s he proposed the idea of an MA in Reconciliation to the University of Winchester, and he has played a central role in designing and delivering it. He has wide experience of project development and group facilitation and is an experienced trainer.

He received an Honorary Doctorate in Divinity from the University of Winchester in 2010 and was appointed Visiting Professor at the Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace in 2015.