A brief introduction to all our workers and what inspires them.
Arbourthorne & Norfolk Park
Hi my name is Lynne and I am the new Children and Families worker for St Leonards in Arbourthorne and Norfolk Park. I started this role in January 2023, and I work 20 hours a week.
I am very excited to be working with the community of the S2 area and I am looking forward to setting up brand new groups, building links with the local community and sharing God’s love with everyone.
I love working with children and I have done so for many years in one role or another. I was an intern for the Centenary Project previously, so I am very happy to be part of the Centenary Project again!
I am excited to see what God has planned for me.
Ardsley and Thurnscoe
I am the Children and Families Worker for both Christ Church Ardsley and St. Helen’s Thurnscoe. I work 20hrs between the two Parishes and I started work in October 2020 having been recruited during lockdown!
Starting in this role during the pandemic means how we engage with families and children has changed and it is an exciting time to be involved in shaping activities and seeing how best we can reach families through a mix of on-line resources and using our Church spaces. Joining a Church family that has found ways to do this during lockdown is fantastic.
I am passionate to find ways to engage with local families and to provide stepping stones for them to discover God and his love for them and equipping parents to help their children to explore their own faith journey. I have been a Children and Family Worker for many years in Hertfordshire and I am excited to join the Sheffield Centenary Project team.
Cantley and Mexborough
I’m the Youth, Children and Families Worker for the parishes of St Wilfrid’s Cantley and St John’s Mexborough in Doncaster. I am also the Chapter Hub Co-ordinator for the Hickleton Chapter, a family of parishes across Doncaster who adhere to the Catholic traditions of the Church of England.
I started this job in March 2018 and I work 35 hours a week.
My role in the community is to develop new opportunities for children, young people and families to get to know Jesus in the schools, in the community, and even in church! Initially with our older young people we’ll be looking at what it means to be a follower of Jesus in today’s busy and stressful world and how, through Him, we can be our best selves.
The Centenary Project is an amazing thing to be part of – the support on the ground from the very beginning has been fantastic. It’s unusual in a role that is lone working to have such a strong team, and because we’re in such diverse parishes and roles there’s always someone who has a top tip or the equipment you need.
I truly believe that our children and young people are not the “church of tomorrow” but an active part of the church of today, and I’m excited to see what they will teach me as we embark on this journey of faith together.
Finningley
I’m Hannah and alongside my role on central team as Hubs Oversight I’m Family Worker at Holy Trinity and St Oswald’s Church, Finningley, for 3 hours a week to run our monthly Cafe Church; Cafe 3:30. Cafe 3:30 launched in 2018 and has grown far bigger than we can imagine, each Cafe 3:30 has upbeat, contemporary songs, an interactive talk, craft activities, family prayer activity and a sensory activity for the younger children.
When I returned from maternity leave in 2021 I decided to reduce my working hours to fit better with family life.
St John’s, Goole
My name is Emma and I am the Children & Families worker at St John’s Church in Goole. I am new to this role and I’m very excited to get started! I will be working 35 hours a week, running a Parent and Toddler group, Kids Church, and making links with the local community, working closely with Primary Schools supporting Jesus’ teachings.
I have 18 years of experience working with Children within a Primary School setting, teaching various topics – the most rewarding job seeing children achieve and reach their full potential with encouragement and support. I am looking forward to transferring these skills to my new role whilst encouraging and supporting each child’s faith journey.
I am looking forward to being part of the Centenary Project and I can’t wait to see Gods plans for Goole and the local Community. I feel God is using my strengths to develop the Christian faith within our town.
Hatfield
My name is Rachel Ridler and I am the Youth, Children’s and Families Worker at St Lawrence Church in Hatfield, Doncaster. I started this role in January 2020 and I work 28 hours per week.
St Lawrence is a really active church in the village of Hatfield, with plenty of activities taking place to encourage families to engage with church, and a Church of England primary school right next door. The church is passionate about reaching out to more people in the local community, and providing for all age groups.
My role includes leading the popular Messy Church both online and in person, working alongside the 5 local primary schools to provide collective worship opportunities, running a socially distant summer club and other one off events targeted at children and families.
I am hoping to start up some new groups for youth and also for mums with babies and toddlers, and have been involved in launching a new Uniform Bank during lockdown and a Toy Library for our local community.
What excites me most about this role is the opportunity to reach the community that my family live in with the gospel, and to work alongside the friendly, welcoming and enthusiastic congregation at St Lawrence. Part of my role is to nurture and develop the volunteer team and oversee them, as well as drawing in new volunteers so that the church can carry on this work well into the future.
As a previous fundraiser, this is a change of direction for me, but I have been involved in youth and children’s work in many voluntary ways for the last 20 years. I love sharing my ideas, fundraising skills and enthusiasm with the other Centenary Project Workers and love being a part of this network.
Heeley Parish Church, Sheffield
Hi! I’m Laura, Children and Families Worker at Heeley Parish Church. Here we have a few weekly groups run during term time, including X kids after school club, Refresh Morning women’s group and a toddler group. We also run holiday clubs and monthly socials for the whole family, such as quiz night, disco, bingo and walks in the Peak District.
I have always loved working with children of all ages, and have worked as a teacher, nursery practitioner and childminder. Volunteering at Heeley Parish Church as a children’s worker felt so natural, and this is where I found a passion for helping children and their families get to know more about Jesus and grow their faith.
I am really excited to be part of the Centenary Project team and can’t wait to start working with the children and families at Heeley Parish Church!
Kirk Sandall & Edenthorpe
Hi, my name is Josey Bryant and I am the new Children and Families worker for the parish of Kirk Sandall & Edenthorpe.
I initially started with the project in June 2019 and my role was at Heeley in Sheffield. I was appointed to Kirk Sandall at the beginning of December 2022.
I am looking forward to working within the community at Kirk Sandall & Edenthorpe .
I am so excited to be part of the Centenary Project and it is a natural fit for me (more likely a supernatural fit) I have always loved working with children and supporting families. I feel that God is going to use my interests and skills to enable me to walk alongside children and families to further God’s Kingdom.
Kilnhurst
Hi, I’m Lydia and I’ve worked for St Thomas’ Kilnhurst as the Youth, Children’s and Families Worker since September 2017. St Thomas’ Church is a bunch of people from Kilnhurst and the surrounding villages who believe in the good news that Jesus came from God to bring sinners near to God through His death and resurrection. We are seeking to grow in faith and obedience to God, and we long to share this good news of Jesus with our friends and neighbours throughout the village so that they also might receive His salvation and live out their lives to His praise and glory.
During normal times we run three Sunday children’s groups during the morning service where church family children and young people study the Bible to hear and understand the good news of Jesus and grow in their love for Him and obedience to Him. We also run two afterschool children’s groups, a youth group and a toddler group during the week where children and families from the village can hear the good news from the Bible themselves through games, songs, play and Bible reading. In my role I facilitate and coordinate these groups, and also run school assemblies.
As a church we were unable to finance the role of a children’s and youth worker when I began working for the church, so we’re so grateful for the generosity of the Diocese and the support of the Centenary Project in facilitating this work to go ahead. It is our greatest joy whenever we see someone turn to Christ as their Lord and Saviour, and I am so grateful to be given the opportunity to have a part in this ministry!
New Bentley, Scawsby and Edlington (Our Lady of Doncaster Mission Partnership)
Hi, I’m Melanie Pay, the new Children, Youth and Families Worker for New Bentley and Scawsby. I have a family myself and know how important drawing them into the life of the Church is, and have spent the last year or so working in my home parish to develop that work.
I’m looking forward to learning more with the Centenary Project and meeting new people along the way.
I’ve lived in Scawsby, Doncaster all my life and have attended St Leonard’s and St Jude’s Church since being 10 years old. I’ve always felt a strong connection to the Church and attended many youth and young adults pilgrimages whilst growing up.
I’m a big child at heart myself so enjoy learning with the children and arranging fun activities and outings. I find children can teach us just as much as we can teach them.
I’m excited to go on the journey I feel god has called me to do and I hope to be able to make good friendships and build lots of new relationships along the way.
Owlerton
Hi, I’m Sophie and I am the youth and young adult minister at St John the Baptist Owlerton, Sheffield. I work alongside a staff team that includes a children’s worker, a families and under 5’s worker and a community pioneer on a local estate, as well as our amazing team of volunteer youth workers.
St John’s has a developed youth ministry which includes, youth groups, small groups, a couple of football teams in the Sheffield Christian Youth League as well as youth work on the estate. The young adult ministry is in an early stage but we have some really committed young adults and we’re hoping to see this grow over the next few years.
Before becoming a full-time youth and young adult minister in October 2020 I had been involved in youth work for nine years and young adult ministry for four. It is a real privilege to be walking along side our young people as they explore the Christian faith and develop a living faith.
I am really looking forward to seeing what God will be doing through us at St Johns and the whole centenary project over the next few years!
St John’s Park
Hi, I’m Kirsty and I am the part-time children and families worker at St John’s Park in Sheffield.
St John’s is a church located at the heart of Park, whose mission is to be followers of Jesus who love and learn from God, empower and support each other, and serve and reach out to their community and beyond.
My role is to co-ordinate the children, and families ministry by reaching, discipling, and engaging children and young families from the wider community, enabling them to progress through the various ministries offered.
I love working with the Centenary project and having previously been an intern with them too, I obviously just couldn’t stay away!
Before working for the Centenary Project, I have worked in sales, admin, and retail and I taught English to adults and children in Spain for a year which I absolutely loved. I also help a friend with the social media pages for her app called God for Kids!
The Rivers Team, Sheffield
Hi! My name is Sarah and I am the Children and Families worker for the Rivers Team. I’m a wife, mother and grandmother and I have three grown-up daughters and five grandchildren. I started on the 1st of October 2018.
My work includes working with families from First Steps to Messy Church, School Assemblies and follow up for baptism families.
I very much enjoy my role and appreciate the support and prayers from the Centenary Project and my parish and I feel privileged to journey alongside these families and children as they discover more about their Faith.
Rotherham Minster and Masbrough
Hello my name is Elliott and I’m the new Children and Families worker for Rotherham Minster, in Mission Partnership with St. Paul’s Masbrough.
I’ve just joined the project team in November 2019 after completing my MA in English Church Music! My work at the Minster is centred around music and discipleship and I’m excited to be bringing people together through both faith and music. I will be working in the local schools and community groups using music as an engaging driving force for children to engage with God and our church. I will be supporting the musical development at Rotherham Minster and aspire to guide the potential choristers.
The Centenary Project is an engaging way to introduce discipleship, faith and the word of God to those around us, and I feel honoured to be able to serve as a connecting block. I cannot wait to see what is in store to help others discover and develop their own faith. I’m also looking forward to building relationships with children and their respective families. Plus, working at the Minster is a huge bonus as the building is stunning!
Outside of this, I enjoy playing the organ and directing the choir of St. Paul’s Masbrough. As a church musician, I love all things 18th Century English organ music and I’m an avid fan of John Rutter and C.V. Stanford. I also co-run a fun community choir in Rotherham. I enjoy travelling and I’m quite the herbal tea connoisseur.
Thrybergh
I am the Children and Families worker for St Leonard’s, Thrybergh. I work 20 hours a week and started in January 2020.My role is to have an oversight over all ministries with families and children in the parish reaching out into the community, forming relationships and taking God’s love into a wider context.
I work with 3 primary schools delivering assemblies, RE Lessons, church visits, festival services and other support such as confirmation classes, Y6 transition, and after school clubs.
I have begun a Messy Church in school at one of the schools and look to pioneer and develop other fresh expressions of church in the parish. We have already begun a Muddy Church and a Cafe Church.
We have launched a Parent and Toddler group called “Little Lions’ which is weekly in the church hall.
I also journey with Baptism families, preparing nurturing and equipping them.
The primary focus of my role is to take God’s love out into the wider community and help the church to serve the families of the parish.
Having completed a Centenary Project Internship in 2019, I was excited to be working with the project again in this role.
I am passionate about helping people find a way to relate to God and nurture a living and growing relationship with Him which will enrich their lives.
Wath
Hi my name is Rachel and I am the Children’s and Families worker at All Saints Wath upon Dearne and Christ Church Brampton Bierlow. I started this role in March 2022 and work 28 hours per week. I am married to a vicar, have three grown up children and prior to my new role, I worked as an Early Years Teacher for 15 years.
Along with a fantastic team of volunteers, we are sharing the love of Jesus in our community through a variety of child/family focussed activities. These include-Tiddler and Toddlers, Messy Church, Sunday School, Family Fun events, All Age Worship and more recently a Youth group.
It’s wonderful to maintain my connection with schools and I lead assemblies, support visits to church, lead special festival services and work alongside children in the classroom.
I am passionate about sharing the exciting contents of the bible with children and young people and making the stories and characters we meet inside its pages real and relevant.
I know God has exciting things in store for the youth, children and families of Wath and Brampton.
Wheatley
Hello! I’m Becky and I’m the full time (35 hours/week) Children’s and Youth worker for St Mary’s Wheatley in Doncaster.
St Mary’s is a church that is eager to reach out with the good news about Jesus Christ. We want as many people in Wheatley and elsewhere in Doncaster to hear about Jesus and the eternal life He offers.
I started working for the Centenary Project in September 2018 after having spent three years at Bible college, and I’m super excited to see what God has planned for the youth and children’s work at St Mary’s and Doncaster in general.
The Centenary Project means that we as a church are better equipped to reach out to families in the area, and provides a place to share ideas and encouragements.
Whiston and Herringthorpe
My name is Lucy, and I am the Children’s and Families Worker at St Mary Magdalene, Whiston & St Cuthbert, Herringthorpe, Rotherham.
I started in September 2015 and I work 15 hours per week.
My work includes working with parent and toddler groups, uniformed organisations, Sunday children’s groups, Open the Book Team leading assemblies in three primary schools, monthly Mum’s Group, occasionally leading all age family services, safeguarding and organising family social events.
The Centenary Project has a huge impact at Whiston and Herringthorpe by taking church out into the local communities – this would not happen without Centenary Project. It is also brilliant to be part of a larger network of Children and Youth Workers – fantastic!
I feel so encouraged and excited to work alongside some amazing children and families, to be with them as they explore their faith through fun and enjoyable experiences.
Wombwell
Hi, I’m Steph and I am the Children and Families worker for the benefice of Wombwell (which is in Barnsley) this includes St Mary’s church in Wombwell and St George’s church in Jump. I started this role in July 2021, working 20 hrs per week.
St Mary’s is an active church in reaching out to the community, due to the pandemic we have had to reach out in different ways using online platforms. Plans are in the works as we move forward to restarting an after-school club, a holiday club in the summer, and the toddler group, with other new clubs to come for different age groups!
We work closely with the local church school and have links with the other three primary schools in Wombwell. There is so much potential in this area and I cannot wait to see God work here!
I feel privileged to be able to journey alongside the children and their families in this area and to help them and guide them, allowing them to grow closer with God in their lives every day.
As I am a big child at heart and I like to get on children’s level and make learning fun, I’m full of energy and always willing to play a game or two.
Woodhouse
Hi my name is Dave, I am the Youth & Families Worker at St James Woodhouse.
Woodhouse is situated outside Sheffield city centre in a village network and is between two council housing estates with two primary and two secondary schools close by.
I started the role in April 2016 working 17.5 hours per week.
As a youth and families worker I find myself working with children, young people and their families across all ages. Our events include, Café Church, Christian Union, Assemblies, weekly kids and youth groups, mentoring, young leaders and discipleship groups.
I am involved in two of the local primary schools and one local secondary school running a Christian Union, assemblies and class time.
The Centenary Project is more than a place of work, it is a family! We love and care for each other inside and outside of our jobs and there is always someone who can support and advise on anything and everything.
Worsbrough
Hi, I’m Elise and I work as a Children and Families Worker at St Thomas and St James Church, and St Mary’s Church, Worsbrough. I started as a CPW in October 2020 during a very challenging time for everyone but I’m excited to see how God will use this time and turn it into an opportunity for growth and development.
My main focus to begin with will be to engage with the congregation and local community as much as possible and to see how I can provide the most support. I will be involved in developing various activities such as Messy Church, a toddler group and a children’s choir.
I will also hopefully be working with the local primary schools and delivering RE lessons and assemblies.
Having gained 4 years experience as a primary school teacher, I’m excited to put the skills I’ve gained to good use within this role. I’m passionate about helping children and families gain a greater understanding of God and the Bible and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I hope to show God’s love in action! I feel really blessed to be working at the Centenary Project and I can’t wait to see what God has in store.
Centenary Project Intern
Evie Gillott
Hi, my name is Evie and I am the new intern for Centenary Project.
Throughout my life, Jesus has become my everything. I love him with all my heart, all my mind and all my soul. I’ve learnt that he never fails, never hurts and never leaves me and that his plans and desires are paramount. He will always lead me to victory. I feel overjoyed to hear of all the miracles and wonders Jesus does in people’s lives.
I have a big passion for worship music and relate very strongly to it. I love to connect to the Lord through worshipping him and praising him. He has done many wonderful miracles in my life and deserves all the praise. I hope to share this passion with the youth and encourage an appreciation for the songs we use to sing to God.
I enjoy researching the scriptures that I am studying and seeing what links they have to other parts of the Bible – trying to get a deeper understanding of the text I am looking at. I hope that I have the opportunity to do more of this during my internship with Centenary Project and share my findings with our young people too.