Laura Chapman

Laura has a calling from God. But, like many other twentysomethings, she also loves booze, sex and funny cat videos. Will this make her a bad priest? The crusty white male custodians of the ministry think so. But Laura has different ideas. At theological college, despite hard partying and frequent hangovers, Laura is a good enough student to point out where the scripture is a misogynistic 'crock of shite'. Threatened with expulsion, Laura is silenced. For now. But she finds empowerment in pole fitness classes, and as a fully-fledged priest, older and wiser, she installs a pole in the vicarage, leaving visiting bishops agog. Laura, an outsider herself, knows that outsiders are who the church is there for - from the old man barred from his lover's funeral to the young woman in need of a secret abortion. But even Laura's powers of inclusivity are challenged when she has to eulogise at a paedophile's funeral and is hit on by a randy undertaker. Confessions of a Pole Dancing Priest, one woman's true-life odyssey of outrage through the patriarchal world of the Church, is full of whip-smart comebacks, stinging one-liners and scalpel-sharp observations. Laura's story moves from episodes which are frank, crude, funny and rebellious to a traumatic conclusion of almost biblical proportions that speaks to the wisdom and humanity in all of us.

UNEXPECTED HEROES is a compelling collection of sixty-four true stories by mothers who were faced with no other choice but to step directly into the line of fire to save the most innocent victims of the war against drugs -their grandchildren. The reader will get a unique glimpse into the world of these women where they forged ahead beyond the devastating impact of addiction on their own families with remarkable strength, determination and unwavering hope. What others are saying: "... One of those rare books you can't put down... Stories are both heartbreaking and uplifting... A must read." -Patricia Rosen, publisher of Sober World Magazine "... An unflinching look at the ways in which addiction affects the entire family... The wisdom offered within the pages is a valuable resource for families who struggle with this issue, are fighting for the best interest of the children involved, and may feel they are alone in the battle." -Deborah Doucette, author of Raising Our Children's Children: Room in the Heart and The Forgotten Roses "... A beautiful composition of courage, compassion, wisdom, strength, love, honesty and hard truths...heartbreaking...enlightening...empowering. -Sandra Swenson, author of The Joey Song "Very highly recommended reading for anyone who stands to be positively enlightened by the stories of these exceptional individuals." -Judy Herzanek, Changing Lives Foundation and co-author of Why Don't They Just Quit "Impressive and dedicated stories... a gifted work that will touch your heart." -Karen Best Wright, author of I Love You From The Edges: Lessons From Raising Grandchildren "I recommend this book... Raw, gut-wrenching stories of those on the front lines of this fight..." -Mark Turansky, author of Figure it Face it & Fix it: Your Surprising Solution to Addictions and Substance Abuse

The aim of this book is to find a paradigm that can be used to achieve greater social fairness, by finding individual/local solutions still in line with national policies and strategies. This book is an argument for equity and inclusion in education based on a model of social justice which is grounded in relationships and learning rather than policies and structures. Securing equity is fundamental to government policy in England - it is at the heart of Every Child Matters and underpins the Children's Strategy. A key issue for education policy and practice in England is the disparity between excellence and equity - in essence, England has the longest tail of under achievement of any country in Western Europe. However, this problem is not limited to wide disparities in educational performance. In the 2007 UNICEF Report 'The wellbeing of children in rich countries' the UK came at the bottom of the international league table. There are numerous examples of how a wide range of variables can compromise a child's life chances, wellbeing and opportunities. At present, the design and delivery of the education system can be seen to reinforce these negative factors rather than seek to explicitly address them. Countries that combine excellence with equity and where young people experience high levels of wellbeing tend to be societies with a commitment to social justice, equity and inclusion. There is an increasing recognition that long term educational and social reforms have to focus on issues around social justice if they are to be more than palliative responses. The aim of this book is to find a paradigm that can be used to achieve greater social fairness, by finding individual/local solutions still in line with national policies and strategies.