About Us - Our Team
Paul & Laura Ward
OUr Co-founders
Paul has a background in Business and Marketing and following his training with Church Army he was Admitted to the office of Evangelist in 2007.
Paul has experience in Community Development for a number of Christian Organisations, as well as a time as Youth, Childrens and Family life Minister before becoming Director of Mission for a Christian Social Action Charity. Paul has pioneered and led a number of projects including, Dads & Kids, Messy Church, Youth and Missional Communities and Church Plants.
Paul is qualified as a Spiritual Director, Mentor/Coach, Pastoral Prayer Partner and Mission Consultant.
In his spare time Paul enjoys, walking, cycling, reading and sport particularly watching football and playing Golf.
Laura has a background in Emergency Planning and worked in Emergency Response for British Airways and the British Red Cross.
Laura is passionate about holistic health and wellbeing and is qualified Complementary Therapist, able to practice in teaching infant massage, massage, reflexology, aromatherapy as well as offering diet and nutritional advice and stress management. Laura has been a ministry volunteer for many years in Youth, children and family ministry, before working as Health and Wellbeing Manager for a Christian Charity. Laura is also a qualified Pastoral Prayer Partner.
Laura has also co led Missional Communities and Church Plants before beginning training with St Mellitus College. Laura was Ordained Deacon in Southwell Minster in July 2023.
In her spare time Laura enjoys, cycling, walking, swimming, reading, gardening and a good cuppa with friends.
Paul and Laura have been married since 2005 and have two Sons. They are both passionate about hospitality, accessible church ministry for those with additional needs and their families, also seeing lives transformed through Christ’s healing and post traumatic growth.
Paul and Laura both have powerful testimonies that they are willing to share when invited.
Sarah says, “Paul and Laura have acted as mentors in my life already in listening to me when I needed someone safe to share with. I have always felt safe with them” (Name changed to protect identity).
Our Trustees
Roger Woodall
Hi, my name's Roger and I’m married with two children and two grandchildren. I used to be head of the science department in a Nottingham school and the manager of the Citizens Advice office in Ilkeston. Now, I volunteer at Hope Nottingham as a befriender, I’m on the prayer team at North Nottingham Healing Rooms and I play bass at my church ‘Hope Vineyard’. I am pleased and honoured to be a Trustee of ‘Break the Chains’.
Colin Bourne (Chair)
I was brought up in a Christian home and became a committed Christian in my teens. I have been a Schoolteacher (Maths & Music); a Civil Servant (Tax Inspector); and then an ordained Church of England Minister since 2004. I retired from parish ministry in Toton in May 2021. I am continuing in post as the Area Dean of Nottingham South Deanery until the end of November 2022.
As a Trustee of Break the Chains, I particularly offer pastorally-hearted strategic thinking, attention to detail, and experience of church and charity finance, as part of the means of enabling Break the Chains to flourish and develop as it realises its God-given vision. I have known Paul since 1985, and Laura in more recent years.
Revd Colin Bourne.
Seun Taiwo
I am a Nigerian, happily married with 3 kids (2 girls and a boy), and an Agricultural Engineer by schooling. I did practice for a while but ventured into the finance sector as a banker (my foreign resume). In the UK, I have worked as a Residential Childcare Worker and Project Support Worker besides being a carer for my kids.
I joined the HMRC in 2019. Now I’m currently a Project Support Officer with the GB Declarations Programme Management Office Team of the Borders and Trade Group in HMRC. My team is responsible for providing governance and assurance activities to the programme. I coordinate activities of the Programme Management Office by establishing and maintaining all identified Project’s Risks, Issues and Dependencies, collate and report programme progress while escalating issues where necessary to the Programme Board.
Outside of work I enjoy volunteering my time supporting various organisations/people who provide services for the needy in our society. Besides this, I like walking, singing, playing pool/snooker, and watching a lot of sport.
Jonathan Portwood (Treasurer)
I am a Nottingham born and bred guy having grown up in the house my parent’s have been living in for 64 years and counting! Having grown up in the Anglican Church, in Bramcote, I gave my life to the Lord when I was 18 years old and immediately felt a call on my life to ‘serve the Lord’.
In my mid-20’s I departed Nottingham for foreign destinations, firstly the middle of The Netherlands, and then after that, in 1994, I moved to Pune, India. These moves were in obedience to the Lord’s call on my life to ‘serve’ Him through an ecumenical mission organisation called Youth With A Mission (YWAM). It was in Pune that I met and married Rosie, and our two children, Judith & Richard came along!
After serving abroad for 23 years my wife and I felt that we should come back to the UK, to be near to my parents as they aged, and for our two children to go through their secondary education in UK schools. On our return I setup my own business to provide computer support and training services to individuals and small businesses in the Nottingham area. We also re-joined Saint Michael’s church in Bramcote where I’ve served on the PCC for several years and am now the Verger for the church alongside my business activities.
Emma Mallord (Secretary)
My name is Emma and I am a Curate at St Peter's Church, Littleover in Derby. I love working with people, and I especially love seeing lives transformed by the love of Jesus. I have been in Derby for just over 6 years, having moved from near London.
I grew up in Hertfordshire, but I feel I have found my home here in the Midlands. When I'm not working I love reading novels, going to the cinema and knitting or crocheting in front of the TV.
I'm looking forward to coming on board with Break the Chains as Secretary to the Board, and excited to use my gifts in admin and ministry to help support Paul & Laura and the Trustees.