Facilities Manager
Simon is a man of many skills, including music, roller skating, several languages, and flying! He makes sure that the Centre has all it needs practically to provide services. He also runs drop-in sessions and activity groups, and his vision is for the Centre to run like a well-oiled machine - with the oil of the Holy Spirit!
Nigel Gallagher
Catering Supervisor
Nigel came to us as a drug addict, desperately underweight and depressed. He found faith, healing and home in the church, and has been employed as catering supervisor for several years now. He's a canny Geordie, a colourful character, and a very changed man. His breakfasts are famous in the city!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Bev Abbott
Cafe Supervisor
Bev is full of enthusiasm! She had experience in cafe work before, and brings a bubbly and sociable personality to make the cafe a place to enjoy. She also teaches guitar to beginners and beyond, and loves running events, connecting on the internet, and generally living life to the full.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Barney Taylor
Support Worker
Barney is good with people and admin - a valuable combination. He lives in Birmingham and works here four days a week. He helps people through the hoops with the bond scheme and is also a trained mentor. He is a church elder and an accomplished guitarist and song writer. He also plays a mean game of table tennis, and runs to keep fit. We expect to lose Barney to a Jesus Centre in Birmingham when it opens - their gain will be our loss.
Val Hook
Support Worker
Val is the super-mum of the Centre! She looks after many people, especially bond scheme tenants, and she takes no nonsense from the many official bodies that she deals with on peoples' behalf. She has a big heart for the vulnerable and will move mountains to help them. She also supports Man U and is a general scallywag. Her husband Roger (below) is a trustee of the Jesus Army Charitable Trust that set up and runs Jesus Centres.
Tony Schelts
Support Worker
Tony is very good with people and loves to see lives changed. He also runs the popular Your Space activities on Wednesday and Friday afternoons, and he gives training in computer basics by appointment in IT For Starters. He leads the Your Weight support group, having lost over ten stones himself.
His laugh would make him a living in films, but he prefers to be where the people are, serving many like Jesus.
Julia Faire
Basic Skills Tutor
Julia has a lot of experience teaching basic skills and she has built up a valued service at the Jesus Centre. She gives one to one tuition in literacy, numeracy, cv writing etc, and groups session for English conversation. There is not much that she cannot teach in fact, and we expect her time and services to expand. She is definitely a people person and she makes her students feel at home as she builds their confidence.
Rob Halligan
Admin
When Rob isn't doing gigs around the country and supporting Global Care, or taking his kids to school and doing DIY, or playing in the church band... he looks after the admin for lettings at the Jesus Centre, cash handling, time sheets and other exciting stuff (not) that has to be done to keep the wheels turning. Rob writes great songs, and designs neat spreadsheet systems for invoices.
Carole Rust (left, with friend Bethan)
Admin
Carole was a key figure in setting up and starting the Jesus Centre. It was a tough assignment and nearly finished her off, but she fought through and now enjoys doing lots of number crunching and other needed admin tasks to support the front line work. Carole lives in Christian community like several of the staff, and loves to worship in church meetings.
Dave Graham
Maintenance
The Centre takes a hammering from its heavy use by hundreds of people every week, and it takes a lot of cleaning and maintaining. Dave is a man of many skills who likes to do a good job. He works at a builders merchants part time as well, and is a leader in the Jesus Fellowship. He plays his own groovy songs at Live at the Well events. He is married to Jeanette, our Fundraiser (below).
Sharon Bates (in red)
Financial Admin
Sharon does the accounts book entry work, reporting, and systems cover. She does that one day a week, and runs another accounts team the rest of the week. She is very creative, loves splashing around in water or inventing mad schemes. We have to watch her if she gets bored!
Jeanette Graham with her husband Dave
Fundraising
The Centre costs about £200,000 a year to run and we bid for funding from various trusts etc. Jeanette researches sources and puts bids together week by week and has good success since she worked here. She also helps in reception and there aren't many visitors that she doesn't know. She is married to Dave and they live in Christian community in Coventry. They have many stories from years of exciting experience.