It’s a great honour to introduce myself as a ‘newish’ member of the Council of Scargill House and it’s a privilege to be involved in this great house and its ministry.  I joined the Council earlier this year with a brief of supporting the development of the children’s and youth ministry of Scargill House.

I moved north from Surrey just over 5 years ago from church-based youth work post at St John’s, Woking to start work as a Youth Worker/Chaplain in the Diocese of Blackburn at a school in Chorley.  In February of this year I moved from the Diocese of Blackburn to become Diocesan Youth Officer for the Diocese of Manchester.

I’ve been doing youthwork for the last 27 years of my life and one of the key elements of the work I’ve been involved in with youth people has been residentials.  Giving young people particularly, time to get away, relax, have fun, enjoy a different environment and press the ‘pause’ button and connect with God in what can very often be a stressful and busy life, is a phenomenal privilege. I’m massively supportive of places that seek to engage with young people in this way and provide the space for them to just be.  So it really is a great privilege to be involved with Scargill House at this exciting time.

I’m very much a ‘new kid on the block’ at Scargill, but already I have benefited in so many ways from its ministry and the people who have continued to bring life to it, and I’m eager for many, many others, of all ages, to know that blessing, that peace about the place and to expect God to meet and minister to them there.