The Columbans in Britain are delighted to welcome Bonnie Hunt and Anna Pennant, who have joined the team as Faith in Action Volunteers. Beginning in September 2026, they will spend a year putting their faith into action through practical involvement in local communities, educational activities designed to protect and restore biodiversity and projects supporting people experiencing disadvantage and vulnerability.
Based in Birmingham, the volunteers will work alongside both the Columban Justice, Peace and Ecology and Interreligious Dialogue teams. Their roles will include supporting refugees and asylum seekers, building relationships between people of different faiths and cultures, and helping schools, parishes and community groups explore how faith can inspire action for justice and peace. They will also have opportunities to engage with environmental initiatives, develop their skills and reflect on their own faith through encounter.
Bonnie is a recent graduate in International Relations and Development from the University of Birmingham. She joins the Columbans eager to put her academic learning into practice and to learn about the world from an entirely different perspective, grounded in faith and lived experience.
Bonnie is particularly interested in peacebuilding and is inspired by Jesus’ prayer for unity among his disciples and His call to love our enemies. She sees peacebuilding as closely connected to the three central aspects of Columban mission: interreligious dialogue, welcoming the stranger and care for creation.
Bonnie hopes the year will be a formative experience, helping her discover new perspectives and discern where God may be leading her long term. In her spare time Bonnie enjoys playing football, rock climbing, painting and spending time with friends and family.
Anna comes to the programme after studying Natural Sciences, with Physics as her main subject, at Keele University. Her university experience included an international year in Canada, where she explored a broader range of subjects, including religion. She also spent a gap year volunteering with L’Arche, an organisation that supports people with learning disabilities, an experience she describes as ‘transformative’.
Living away from home and working alongside others prompted Anna to think more deeply about her faith and how it relates to everyday life. At university, she became involved in chaplaincy and learned more about different Christian traditions. The opportunity to volunteer with the Columbans appealed to her as a way to continue exploring faith while learning from another Christian denomination and engaging with people from different backgrounds.
Anna has already begun discovering the variety of experiences the role offers. These encounters have challenged her to reflect on the relationship between faith and action, including the differences between her Church of England background and Catholicism, and the place of interfaith work in her own faith journey.
Anna is excited to see what the rest of the year brings as she learns more about herself, her faith and the possibilities ahead. Although she is considering training to become a teacher, Anna remains open to where this volunteer experience may lead her.
The Faith in Action Volunteer Programme offers young adults an opportunity to explore their faith through service, encounter and reflection. By working alongside people facing challenging circumstances, volunteers gain a deeper understanding of the issues affecting their communities and the ways in which faith can inspire practical responses.
For Bonnie and Anna, the coming year will be an opportunity to learn from the people they meet, contribute to Columban mission and discover how their own gifts and experiences can help build a more compassionate, just and peaceful world.
We warmly welcome Bonnie and Anna to the Columban community and look forward to sharing in their journey over the coming year.
