Saturday 15th November
10.30am – 4.30pm
Salisbury Methodist Church
St Edmunds Church Street
Salisbury
SP1 1EF
Course particpants are asked to bring their own lunch
We are delighted to welcome Alex Ewing, Director of the Bridge Youth Project as our speaker this year. Alex will give an overview of this exciting and unique project and how it works across 29 schools in Wiltshire to bridge the gap between pupils, staff and parents by providing on site chaplaincy. By providing a listening ear Bridge Chaplains aid communication, understanding and assistance within a busy school environment. Come along to the Open Evening and hear more about ‘The Bridge’
On Tuesday September 23rd 2025
at 6.45pm for 7pm
at Salisbury Methodist Church,
St Edmunds Church Street, SP1 1EF
On this evening we will be saying a BIG Thank You to Sue Robbins who has been the Manager of The Listening Place for 14 years.
See you there!
Do you want to Listen Better?
If you do, come to a Training in Listening Day
at Bemerton Methodist Church
Roman Road, Salisbury
SP2 9BH
on Saturday 18th October 2025
from 10am t0 4pm
(Please bring your own lunch)
Free parking beside the church)
Would you like to be
a Volunteer Listener for the Listening Place?
People who want to become Listeners are asked to attend two days of training in Listening.
The next course will take place on Saturday 18th October and Saturday 25th October 2025
at Bemerton Methodist Church
Roman Road, Salisbury
SP2 9BH
from 10am to 4pm
(Please bring your own lunch)
Free parking available next to the church
To register for the above courses: salisburylisteningplace@gmail.com
or telephone: 01722 325 294
or complete the form on the Courses page.
Please can you help us publicise our service?
We know that there are many people who would benefit by coming along to The Listening Place to talk through their worries, concerns and problems. You may know someone yourself. Maybe they need your help to take a step through the door. Please bring them for coffee one Wednesday or Saturday morning when they could have an informal chat to a Listener and decide if it’s for them.
Or perhaps you could help us publicise our service by:
- Displaying a poster in your window
- Asking your local surgery, post office or community noticeboard to display one
- Giving a leaflet to a person in need
If you are willing to help in this way, please get in touch and we will get posters and/or leaflets to you.
Contact Jill by text or phone: 07718 796 533
Or email: salisburylisteningplace@gmail.com or thelakemans@hotmail.co.uk
The Listening Place is a free confidential drop in service, for face-to-face appointments. It is open on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 10am-12noon and Monday evenings from 5.30pm-7.30pm at Salisbury Methodist Church, St Edmunds Church Street, Salisbury SP1 1EF.
You talk – We listen
Celebrating 20 Years of Listening
Salisbury’s own ‘Listening Place’ celebrated 20 years of listening to the local community on Tuesday 10th September with a cake and an interesting talk given by Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist, titled ‘Anxiety is a Gift’.
Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place welcomed the packed audience, which included Listeners, both past and present. She recalled the struggle to get the whole enterprise off the ground and how determined the Founders of The Listening Place were to realise their vision of a free, accessible service where people from the local community could be listened to without interruption or judgement.
The Rev Canon Ann Long, one of the original Listeners, described how she followed in the footsteps of the late Julia Waters who was inspired to establish The Listening Place. She said it had been a privilege to work alongside those Listening and being Listened to. Sue thanked Ann and also presented Mary Mitchell, who was retiring after 20 years of service, with a gift and flowers, in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution to The Listening Place.
Caroline Cavanagh, who donated her talk in memory of her father, followed with a lively and challenging talk, ‘Anxiety is a Gift’. She gave the audience three key ways to transform anxiety (or fear) into positive energy in our own lives. Firstly, by considering whether the risk is real or imaginary. Secondly by taking small steps out of our comfort zone to challenge the perceived risk and thirdly by ‘flipping’ negative thoughts into positive ones. Most ‘what if?’ thoughts are negative and it’s easy to fall down the negative ‘rabbit hole’ and become anxious. Given practice, anxiety could be seen as a gift, by using it to train our minds to think positively. Many questions were posed by the audience in response and Caroline engaged in a discussion of the points raised. As a ‘thank you’ for being the speaker, Caroline was presented with a basket of Fairtrade goods by Sue Robbins.
The evening ended with the cutting of the Anniversary cake, light refreshments and an opportunity to chat with Caroline and each other.
The Listening Place is based at Salisbury Methodist Church in St Edmunds Church St, Salisbury SP1 1EF. It provides a free confidential drop-in service on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 10am – 12noon and Monday evenings 5.30pm – 7.30pm. Alternatively, appointments can be made by phoning 01722 325 294 within these hours, or by leaving a message on the answer phone. Or by emailing: salisburylisteningplace@gmail.com
For further information: www.thelisteningplace.org.uk
Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist helps people to understand anxiety and to use this knowledge to increase mental resilience and performance.
Caroline is a Professional Speaker, Published Author, National Award-Winning Therapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Master NLP Practitioner.
Above all she’s a lady who loves to help people feel mentally stronger.
For more information: www.carolinecavanagh.co.uk
The 20th Anniversary Cake
The Rev’d Canon Ann Long
The Rev’d Dr Mark Cheetham, Superintendent Minister, Salisbury Methodist Church with Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place, Caroline Cavanagh, Anxiety Specialist and The Rev’d Canon Ann Long, Founder Member of The Listening Place.
Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place presenting a basket of Fairtrade goods to Caroline Cavanagh, Guest Speaker
Sue Robbins, Manager of The Listening Place with Mary Mitchell, retiring Listener after 20