In the wake of the pandemic, many Anglo-Catholic parishes in Hackney and Islington found themselves facing a stark reality. Congregations had declined. Finances were stretched thin. And the daily pressures of keeping a parish afloat left little space for mission.

It was into this context that Toby stepped, serving as a Catholic Mission Enabler for the Diocese of London.

Church revitalisation is a unique and essential part of renewing the life of existing churches and communities.

When you plant a new church, you begin with fresh DNA in a new environment — often starting from scratch with new systems, structures, and vision. Revitalisation, however, is something altogether different. It’s about bringing a new culture into an existing institution — a living, breathing community with its own history, relationships, and ways of doing things.

Anyone in leadership knows: it can be a profoundly lonely place.

I’ve sat with politicians making nation-shaping decisions, with church leaders stewarding global movements, with founders launching projects no one fully understands yet—not even them.

I’ve also walked alongside organisational leaders determined to build something better, even when it means challenging the status quo.

London is still a place where people dig deep. Still a city pulsing with the possibility of creation, courage, reinvention. Still a canvas for stories, old ones, yes, but also those not yet written.

A place shaped by what’s been, and alive with people bold enough to shape what’s next.

The optimism of Londoners—the quiet, unspoken effort to make the most of every moment—has stuck with me. Especially as I’ve reflected on my time in London and the culture that shaped it. It’s made me think a lot about not just the stories we live from but maybe more importantly the stories we tell ourselves that shape the story we live out.

Sahil Bloom recently wrote:

“The older I get, the more I realize some people waste their entire lives fearing the judgement of people who were never even thinking about them. Nobody is thinking about you. Everybody is too busy thinking about themselves. That thing you’ve always wanted to do? Go do it.”

Across Australia, a quiet crisis is brewing in boardrooms, not-for-profits, churches, political parties and social enterprises: a leadership cliff. In some sectors, up to 50% of current leaders are expected to retire within the next 10 years. Yet many organisations have no clear plan for how to raise up the next generation of capable, confident leaders.

This is not just a talent issue. It’s a strategic risk