Meet the church and community team

Sarah Smart
Development worker (maternity leave)
I am passionate about seeing children and young people develop and grow in their faith by being given opportunities to put it into action no matter how old they are. In my role I have the privilege to work with churches as they seek to reach out to children and families in their local community.

Helen Franklin
Development Worker (Church and Community) in Wales
Helen is passionate about mission and has pioneered our ‘pop-up' mission models introducing thousands of children to the Christian story. Helen is a passionate, adopted Welsh lady who is learning Welsh and is able to deliver training sessions in Welsh.

Lucy Pearson
SU Development Worker (Greater Manchester)
I absolutely love seeing the lives of young people transformed by the love of Jesus. By working with churches and communities across Manchester, we can give children and young people the opportunity to hear the gospel and be transformed by his love.

Robin Gerrard
Scripture Union Development Worker (Church and Community), North-West Region
I’m a Liverpool lad and have spent most of my life living and working in Merseyside. I love the outdoors and I’m passionate about music in worship. I believe that local people in local churches, inspired by the Bible, have a vital role in sharing the good news of Jesus within their own communities. I love being able to equip, empower and encourage churches to reach out to local children and young people with the good news.

Clare Luxton
Development Worker (East Anglia)
The purpose of my role is to support the work already happening with children and young people in East Anglia. I also work with others to find ways to communicate the gospel to children and young people who aren't currently connected to the church and to encourage links between churches and their local schools.

Neil Jackson
Development worker (church & community)
I've been involved in youth and children’s work most of my life as a teacher, youth worker, schools worker and as a volunteer. I believe in outreach to children and young people and my role is about encouraging, equipping and inspiring God’s church to be effective partners with God in the exciting project of reaching children, youth and families with the good news about Jesus. Get in touch if there are ways that I can support or advise you in any way to be more effective at doing this.

Matty Hawthorne
SU Development Worker
My role is to equip and support local mission partners and to develop opportunities to pioneer missional work with others with a focus along the M62 corridor area. I've worked with some of the most marginalised young people in young offender’s institutions and in the community. I'm excited about Scripture Union's focus on reaching children and young people who don't yet know Jesus, and love serving those who are working to achieve this. If that's you, I'd love to hear from you!

Steve Hutchinson
SU Development Worker (Church and Community)
Steve loves Jesus, his wife Judy, children, music, and woodturning – probably in that order. He delights to share Jesus with children wherever and whenever he can.

Bob Goody
Development worker
I am passionate about caring, sharing and empowering the Christian church into action and helping to ensure that every child and young person has an opportunity to hear the gospel in a form that they can understand and respond to. I do this by working in schools, churches, parks, festivals or even just out on the streets.

Sam Fowler
SU Development Worker (Church and Community)
There's nothing better than seeing children and young people get to know Jesus. With a background in youth and schools work, I hope to see churches, and our other partners, meet children and young people in their local community.
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