Our team
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Core team
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Anna Wheatley
Anna is our Gap Year Student for this year. She lives and worships at New Life Church in Dorking and attended school in Reigate. Next year Anna will be going to Winchester University to read Education Studies, Theology and Religious Studies. Anna is looking forward to working with Liz and the team and keen to use her skills in art and crafts.
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Shirley Harnett
Shirley joined us in January 2012 as our new administrator who will be looking after the office on Monday and Thursday mornings. She is a member of Reigate Park Church and has worked in IT and administration in a local school and college. Mother of three, Shirley was delighted at the birth of her first grandchild last year.
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Liz Barnett
Liz joined us in September 2010, from her previous life at St Mary’s in Reigate where she was Assistant to the vicar and a voluntary member of the church’s youth work team. As Leader of Schools Ministry she is responsible for co-ordinating and developing links between churches and schools, and leading the local schools work. She is extremely excited and passionate about the new role and the way in which it will support young people across all aspects of their lives.
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Partner youth workers
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Lynn Lobb
Lynn is Children’s Minister at St Mary’s Church, Reigate
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Denisa Horvathova
Denisa is from the Czech republic and moved to the UK 4 years ago. She attended a bible class in Suffolk and recently finished an internship at Metro Ministries in New York City, where she was working with inner city kids. While in NYC Denisa says ‘God started putting a vision on my heart to see young people chase after Him and really know who He is and who they are in Christ’. When she came back to the UK Denisa became a Youth leader at Reigate Baptist church.
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Matt Harris
Matt Harris is Associate Minister at St Mary’s church with responsibility for Youth Ministry. Matt previously worked for Perspective Trust as a project leader and youth worker for schools.
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Matthew Lockwood
Matt is the Student Youth Worker at Reigate Park Church. After a gap year doing Christian schools work in Ipswich, he is on a degree course at Ridley Hall, Cambridge studying Youth Work and Practical Theology. Matt brings football skills to the SparkFish team and loves playing guitar and leading worship.
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Richard Colpus
Richard is married to Anita, the vicar of St Luke’s Church, South Park. They came to Reigate in 2010 from Medway, where Richard was involved in schools and youth ministry. While there, he created ‘One Way’, an imaginative interactive exhibition where young people can explore the story of Jesus. Richard leads amazing assemblies, conjuring up tricks as he tells stories from the Bible.
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Lizzie Baker
Lizzie joined Holy Trinity in September 2010 from Banstead Baptist, however she went to St Bede’s and therefore knows the area well. Her desire is to see young people grow in their love and knowledge of Jesus. She also has a strong desire for chocolate and loves baking and cooking!
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Mark Hope
Mark defected from the world of marketing communications to become a full-time youth worker 5 years ago. He wants to see young people’s lives transformed through knowing Jesus and showing that there is more to life than might appear! He also takes a group of young people on an annual Surf Trip to North Devon and to Newday in Norfolk. Despite the demands of a young family, Mark is determined to remain accessible to any young people that need his support.
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Emily Irving
Em is studying for a degree in youth work, whilst working part-time at Redhill Baptist where she looks after the 11-19 year olds. At only 21 herself, she still remembers clearly some of the issues young people had to deal with at secondary school and is keen to support and encourage wherever possible. Newly married, Em is looking forward to life with Paul, who works in the music department at St Bede’s.
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Management team/Trustees
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Richard Hawes
Richard joined the team as Treasurer in 2012.
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Mark Hope
As a key member of the Reigate & Redhill Community Church leadership team with responsibility for youth, Mark has been one of our partnering youth workers since SparkFish launched last year. More recently he has become a Trustee and we are delighted to welcome a youth work representative to the management team. Mark’s background in marketing and communications will prove invaluable, as will his ability to balance the perspectives of both youth work and management teams.
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George Watt
George has recently become minister of Reigate Park United Reformed Church. Originally from Scotland, he worked for a time in IT before training for the ministry. He has served churches in Southampton and Cheam. He is married to Linda and has 3 boys - Nathan, Jacob and Reuben. In Cheam he was involved in work in Sutton schools and is very excited to be part of SparkFish.
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Hermione Puzey
Hermione joined us as Trustee in January 2011. She and her husband Paul are the leaders of Redhill Christian Fellowship church, meeting at 10.30am every Sunday in The Harlequin. Hermione is passionate about our ability to engage with all local schools and the young people that go there, and is keen to lend her support.
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Viv Hawes
Viv joined SparkFish in September 2010 and is now a trustee. She is Operations Manager at a local church after spending many years working in London in IT project management and Knowledge Management. An active member of St Mary’s church, Viv is a leader for the Sunday evening youth group and enjoys taking young people to Soul Survivor and cooking for them. In her spare time, Viv is mother to two teenage girls.
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James Ashton
James lives in Merstham with his wife, Gail and three kids, two rabbits and one cat. He is an Anglican vicar at All Saints’ Church in Merstham and has lived in the Redhill area most of his adult life. James is passionate about the importance of working in schools and building relationships across the community. As a relatively new member of the Sparkfish team, James is looking forward to seeing the project develop and flourish in the future.
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Paul Taylor
Paul spent his career in Primary education, including two headships where he saw the benefits of Christian schools ministry. When he retired in 2009, the opportunity arose to help SparkFish move into a new phase of its life. Paul can see great potential for involving more churches, supporting more schools, and giving every young person the chance to hear what Jesus means to Christian believers. Paul belongs to Holy Trinity Church, and enjoys music, his grandchildren and his spaniel.
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Fran Morgan
Fran joined SparkFish in October 2009 as a volunteer copywriter. Having spent many years in the design industry, she has played an active role in the SparkFish branding project and will remain involved as a trustee, with responsibility for branding, marketing and publicity. She has two daughters: Rosie and Megan and is a member of Holy Trinity church.
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Clare Horsfall
Clare has been involved with SparkFish since 2009, both in the re-branding project and in an ongoing capacity as Prayer Co-ordinator. She is a member of Holy Trinity church and mum to four boys: Fergus, Ethan, Ashley and Oscar.
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Advisory group
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Phil Andrew
Phil has been Vicar of St Mary’s Church in Reigate since 2006. He worked in the Water Industry for many years as a Chartered Engineer before training for ordained ministry at St John’s College, Nottingham, followed by a Curacy in Reading. He is passionate about people of all ages finding that life as a Christian is meant to be real life, lived to the full, and he is excited by the way SparkFish acts a catalyst, helping local churches get this message out to young people. Phil loves his SparkFish hoodie which, he says, goes so well with a dog collar that he has bought one for his Bishop.
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James Collins
James has been Pastor of Redhill Baptist church since June 2007. Previously he served as pastor for student ministries at Gold Hill Baptist Church in Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire, and then as Pastor at Morden Park Baptist Church. He also lectures at the London School of Theology. James believes strongly in the collaborative nature of SparkFish and enthusiastically supports the project.
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John Bridger
John has been the pastor of Reigate Baptist Church since the church was planted in 1995. He originally worked in the financial sector before giving up his career to be trained at Roffey Place and Spurgeon’s College. He is married to Scylla with a daughter Anne and grandchildren Ben & Sophie. John longs to see young people reached for Jesus Christ and he is delighted at the way SparkFish is being prepared for a new season.
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Volunteers
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Could you volunteer?
We are attracting a growing body of SparkFish volunteers who share our passion for young people. Could you be one of them? We provide training and on-the-job support from a young and vibrant SparkFish team. If you think you can help, please fill in this form.
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We are a community-wide collaboration
Our team brings together youth workers from local churches, co-ordinated by a Leader of Schools Ministry. It is supplemented by a growing body of volunteers.
This approach allows us to provide schools with a strategic resource comprising a diverse spread of skills and experience.
After many years as part of Urban Saints, we have become in 2011 an independent charitable trust. We retain our friendship with Urban Saints, and continue to accept their statement of faith. Our nine trustees meet regularly as a management team and in smaller committees, and are advised by a group of local ministers.