Our Lady of The Waters and The Wye – Talk by Rachel Jenkins OBE & Fr. David Wyatt, Thursday 21 August, 7.30 pm

In August 2022, a small boat carrying a wooden figure of the Virgin Mary made the national news when it set out on a 75-mile journey down the River Wye to draw attention to the disastrous pollution of the river by sewage and industrial waste. In this fascinating talk, two of the organisers reveal how the expedition was conceived, planned and staged, how people reacted, and the part the ‘Lady of the Waters’ played in the ongoing campaign to save the Wye.

About the speakers

After studying Theology at the University of London, Fr. David Wyatt pursued various jobs, including working for charities of the Church and an NHS trust, before training as a priest at Cuddesdon College. He went on to serve as Curate in three Herefordshire parishes before succeeding Fr. Richard Williams as Vicar of Hay, Llanigon, Capel-y-Ffin and Clyro in April 2024.

Rachel Jenkins OBE is Professor Emeritus at Kings College London and a distinguished psychiatrist and epidemiologist. She trained at the Maudsley and Institute of Psychiatry and has worked in the NHS, the Department of Health as Principal Medical Officer for Mental Health (1987-96), and as head of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Mental Health at the Institute of Psychiatry (1997-2012), working with low- and middle-income countries on research, training and policy. After four decades in London she returned to Herefordshire where she was born and grew up, and is passionately concerned with conservation issues.

This is a PAY AS YOU FEEL event, and donations are welcomed. Space may be limited. Please reserve your seat by buying a free ticket below.

STOP PRESS!

On Friday 15 August, The Madonna will be taking to the water again to protest against the pollution of The Wye. The map below shows the route of the voyage and the events planned to take place along the way.