My Fellowship was concerned with looking at crime reduction techniques, especially violence against clergy, in US churches. The techniques that I learnt were circulated to over 68,000 churches in the UK via an insurance company. Since 2016 (the money ran out), I have retrained as a paramedic, currently working in Somerset. Interestingly, the techniques that I learnt about protecting clergy have worked for protecting paramedics. I have passed these on. The NHS does have personal safety training days, but these are often academically heavy and not a lot of practical stuff. The quote I hear the most is 'If someone pulls a knife on me, can I hit them with my oxygen cylinder?' Of course the answer is 'maybe'.

The techniques I learnt are still being trained in churches. I also developed counter-terror techniques for churches which the Home Office has published based on my Fellowship research, so I would like to think that some real, practical advice has been made available to reduce the fear of violence in churches.