Clive Conway, Chair of the Tutu Foundation UK, and Carole Stone, the Chair of the Ambassadors, hosted a successful Tutu ‘salon’ on 21st May 2025.Clive Conway provided opening remarks, setting the scene for the inspiring talks that were to follow.
Pastor Lorraine Jones-Burrell MBE, CEO of the Dwayne Simpson Foundation and Trustee of the Ubuntu Round Tables initiative, spoke with passion and conviction about the powerful energy present in the room. Deeply moved, she emphasised the importance of building on this momentum, calling on everyone to contribute to the growth and expansion of the Ubuntu Round Tables across local communities.
Drawing from her own lived experience of tragically losing her son Dwayne to knife crime, Pastor Lorraine powerfully highlighted the profound and lasting impact such loss has on families, communities, and society at large. She spoke to the immense trauma that stems from systemic challenges, urging that more must be done to provide safe, inclusive spaces where people can speak openly about their experiences and mental health.
Pastor Lorraine passionately described the Ubuntu Round Tables as a place of healing, hope, and empowerment, welcoming all, regardless of background, gender, or age. She echoed that the Ubuntu Round Tables represent a strong and vital stream of help in this 21st century, a timely and much-needed response to the social, emotional, and mental health challenges faced by so many.
She made a heartfelt appeal for financial investment, the volunteering of skills, and the sharing of any available resources to support and sustain this vital initiative.
In closing, Pastor Lorraine urged government leaders and decision makers to recognise and invest in this transformative model, one that is actively rebuilding minds, uplifting hearts, and fostering more harmonious, resilient communities.
Sarah Boulton, a seasoned Organisational Psychology/Development consultant, mediator, and facilitator, has dedicated nearly three decades to nurturing the transformative power of human connection. Inspired and deeply moved by Ubuntu’s values and the mission of the Tutu Foundation UK, she is now championing the development of the Ubuntu Round Table (URT) model.
Already active in the London schools’ programmes, Sarah spoke about how she is currently leading the engagement for an exciting collaboration with Barts NHS Trust— Bringing Ubuntu to the Frontlines of Care and Community. In these programmes, Ubuntu is being brought into the heart of healthcare settings to address staff and patients’ unique pressures, especially where people feel unseen, unheard, or isolated within stretched systems.
The Barts initiative offers three interconnected programmes:
- Strengthening Mediator Skills: Enhancing the Trust’s professional mediators with Ubuntu-informed practice.
- Embedding Everyday Ubuntu: Supporting peer-led Ubuntu Practice Groups to sustain values of empathy and accountability.
- Hosting Round Tables: Bringing together staff, patients, and communities to surface lived experiences and reduce the risk of harm or isolation.
Looking ahead, Sarah also unveiled a bold media vision: a 6-part documentary series taking Ubuntu Round Tables into UK schools to tackle rising misogyny and the deepening gender divide. Inspired by the Netflix drama Adolescence, the series will showcase the power of empathy-led conversations to shift harmful narratives and behaviours. She’s seeking a production partner to bring this important project to life and called on supporters to help get it commissioned.
One of our Ambassadors, Peter Burdin, spoke about his recent trip to Portugal, where the Ubuntu Leadership Academy is really taking off. Peter told us how Ubuntu training is now endorsed by the Portuguese government, and classes are held in most of Portugal’s primary and secondary schools.
Peter travelled with Mungi Ngomane, and they both participated in the annual Ubuntu event with 1,500 young people from all over Portugal.
Peter later visited two schools in Sintra outside Lisbon. He observed the Ubuntu Leadership training in action and saw how it encourages self-confidence, self-respect, overcoming obstacles, servant-leadership, and empathy among the youth.
Tom, a Chief Inspector in the Met Police and Trustee of the Foundation, spoke of why it is of the upmost importance to bring together two groups to build trust and understanding, the people that are most likely to be involved in violence, and the police officers that are out there on the streets tackling it.
He recalled a conversation he had about the power of demonstrating humanity and humility, and its extraordinary ability to turn almost any situation around – the very essence of RoundTables and Ubuntu.
Tom went on to provide an update on the project that is hatching with City of London Academies in North London.