Cord is blessed to have a wonderful board of Trustees whose dedication, guidance and wisdom is vital to our mission. We asked Kat Brealey, Chair of Trustees, to tell us about her journey with Cord and her passion for peace:
As I arrived in Coventry for my first board meeting as Chair of Trustees last November, it felt like a full circle moment. I had first encountered Cord while living in Coventry more than a decade ago, during a formative year working at Coventry Cathedral. Having recently graduated from university, my job hunt had two criteria. Firstly, I wanted to do something related to my degree in theology, and secondly, I wanted to be in the proximity of Warwick, where my boyfriend (now husband) had a year left studying Engineering. Coventry’s story of reconciliation was somewhere further down the list of reasons to apply! However, as I learnt about the Cathedral’s extraordinary history of being ruined and rebuilt, this word ‘reconciliation’ got under my skin. It helped me think about my Christian faith in new ways, as well as navigate living and working with colleagues from different countries and church backgrounds.
Fast forward a few years, and I became a trustee of Cord in 2019, shortly after finishing a Masters in Reconciliation and Peacebuilding. This period of study had deepened my conviction that differences between people need not result in conflict, violence and oppression. It is possible to navigate differences of identity or opinion peacefully – but in many situations, people lack the tools to do so. That’s why I am passionate about Cord’s work, which equips communities to handle conflict in new ways. It takes courage and creativity, but with Cord’s support both those in positions of power and those who might previously have seen themselves as ‘powerless’, can flourish.
Over the past six years it’s been a privilege to serve as a trustee, and I’ve learned so much along the way. Having now taken on the role of Chair, I’m excited to work with the board and leadership team to go deeper and grow stronger in our peacebuilding. But we can’t do this without your faithful support – so I want to thank you for your generosity to Cord and invite you to continue to journey with us into 2026 and beyond.
