Meet The Team

Staff

Matt Rushby is the full-time Youth Worker with BCY. He has now been in Bury since 2008, getting stuck in to the thrills and spills of the life of a schools worker, and enjoying every minute! Matt works in the middle and upper schools of the district (12 in all), taking on assemblies, lessons, support of the Christian Unions, and an occasional Rock Solid. In addition, he is co-ordinating the Bury 'Pray For Schools' initiative, and exploring some exciting opportunities for collaborative work with other local youth leaders and organisations... watch this space!

Besides working with young people, Matt has a real love of all things musical. He plays guitars, writes songs and has spent time with several bands (in and out of church!). He recently realised a teenage ambition and went to see his all-time favourite band, Pearl Jam, when they played the 02 in London. (He also thinks he has the best wife in the world - she got him the tickets for his 30th birthday present!) He likes to keep tabs on Colchester United - will they fare better at their new ground this season? - is saving up for a digital SLR (perhaps by the time he's 40 he'll have enough money...), and recently became well and truly old by subscribing to National Geographic!

Matt was born and raised in Colchester, Essex, is married to Sarah and they have a son, Amias, born in November 2008

 

Nicola Bolton has been with BCY for nearly 8 years now, initially working part-time as our all-knowing, paper-work conquering administrator. What she doesn't know about BCY doesn't exist (or something like that...). Three years ago Nicola's role evolved and she has been taking on the challenge of our middle schools work - running Rock Solid lunchtime clubs in five middle schools in Bury (for more details see the calendar), and also taking assemblies. Now officially our part-time Youth Worker, she is very excited about taking the middle schools work to the next level! Recently she has been producing Rock Solid material in an easy to use format for other people to use which has meant that we have been able to start new clubs in two other middle schools.  In the future, Nicola hopes to be able to develop some of the pastoral opportunities that are coming her way - she is a great listener and has a real heart to show the love of Jesus to all of the pupils she meets through her work in the middle schools.

Nicola is an active lady - she loves hill walking, climbing and cycling - and is a devoted mum to her three children. She also has a strange fondness for various nuts and seeds (it all looks a bit like bird feed to be honest...), has in inordinate amount of milk in her tea and is widely regarded as 'absolutely lovely' by everyone she meets!

Nicola has always lived fairly locally, and is married to Nick.

Dan Goodwin Is the intern here at BCY and also Garland Street Baptist, Dan was volunteering last year with us by going along to St Louis Middle Rock Solid club. At the moment Dan's involvement is helping Nicola out with three Rock Solids and two days in the office. Dan is looking forward to this coming year also loving to see what God has in store for him in the future.

Dan is a very active person - loves to play football, He plays for Sporting 87 Reserves and Coaches Sporting 87 U12's. He is also involved with Great Barton Free Church youth group.

He is a local lad, who has lived in Bury St Edmunds all of his life.

 

Trustees

There are currently 7 trustees drawn from local churches across the area served by BCY and are both lay and ordained from a mixture of denominations. They all have current or prior experience with young people from being parents, teachers or youth workers.

The trustees meet approximately six times a year and their role is in planning, governing and supporting the work of BCY. The staff workers attend the trustees meetings, with each worker linked to a trustee who will act as line manager, meeting with him/her regularly for support and enccouragement, and carrying out job reviews and appraisals..
 
Trustees also visit the office from time to time or drop in on the evening events that have been organised, taking an active interest in the continuing development of the work of BCY. Find out more about them below!
 
We are currently on the look out for new trustees - if you are interested then please contact the office.
 
 

Brian Davies, current Chariman of the Trustees, originates from the West Midlands and has studied and worked in several locations in England, on the European mainland and in Africa. He has been a BCY trustee since late 2006, and chairman of the trustees since September 2007.
 
Brian became involved with BCY when, having retired from teaching foreign languages in 2005, he was keen to devote some time to volunteer work with charities. Having run voluntary Christian activities in school, and as an elder of a local church with a substantial youth contingent, Brian had had plenty of contact with BCY staff and was fully convinced of the value of their ministry.
 
Brian wishes he had more time to pursue leisure activities, but takes a through-the-media interest in most sports and continues to offer moral support to his home town football club, even though the glories of the 50s and 60s have disappeared!
 
Brian is married to Deirdre, and together they have four children who went through three of Bury's middle and upper schools.

 

Carla Auger has been a keen supporter of BCY since she moved to Suffolk 14 years ago; both her children went to house parties, etc., and her son, John, played guitar in the BCY band. After working as a retail manager for most of her life, she is now in semi-retirement and recently became a Grandma twice over! Carla is currently serving as interim Treasurer, following the retirement of Mark Wallace (former Treasurer) in July ’09. If you are someone with an accounting background who would like to join the Trustees, Carla will willingly hand over this responsibility to you!
 
Carla also currently serves as Nicola's Trustee Link.

 

 

 

 

Lesley Norburn is Bury born and bred, and has also been a Trustee of BCY since July ’08 (having done some voluntary minute keeping for the BCY Trustees meetings for a few years prior to Nicola taking over). She has been involved in local Christian youth and children’s work since 1980.  Lesley is married to Andrew, with a Zone-age daughter Harriet, and has been a Reader in the Blackbourne Team of churches since 1998 so has a real passion for supporting youth and children’s work in small rural places. Lesley works full time in IT for the NHS, and outside of work has a great love of music (Sigur Rós anyone?), seeing bands live, walking, travelling to unusual places, art, enjoys face-painting and acting when time permits.  She is one of the team who plan and run The Zone’s monthly meetings, and would love to hear from anyone who would like to get involved and help see The Zone develop and grow. If that's you, then contact the office!

 

 

  
Brian Clarke comes from the North of England and has only recently joined us as a trustee in September 2009. He is a retired engineer, working as a university lecturer for most of his working career. He is married to Joy and they have three children and five grandchildren. He has been involved with children and youth work since he was a teenager. He currently runs ‘Open the Book’ in Bury which takes Bible stories into primary schools throughout the town and surrounding villages every two weeks with a team of about 100 volunteers. This provides an important foundation for the work of BCY in middle and upper schools.
 
He loves to play golf and plays a baritone horn in Bury Concert band.

 

 

 

Robert Green has been a trustee of Bury Christian Youth since July '09 and minister of Garland Street Baptist Church since September 2008. He is married to Heather and they have three sons, Adam, Luke and Joel and a daughter Hannah. Prior to moving to Suffolk he spent almost 20 years in Essex at Cranham Baptist Church (near Upminster)
 
Robert enjoys music, plays guitar and since living in Bury has taken to his bike, so you may well spot him cycling around! It's probably also worth mentioning that the BCY office is next to Robert's, so Matt & Nicola often enjoy a caffeine fix with him at some point during the day! Robert currently serves as Matt's Trustee Link.
 
He feels it is a privilage to serve with BCY as a Trustee and looks forward to seeing God's work develop. His one request of you - please pray for BCY!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vanessa Harrison is the newest addition to the Trustees - joining the board in the Summer term of 09.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

The work of BCY is endorsed and encouraged by Christian workers, local church leaders, youth workers, and representatives of Christian associations. We are enormously grateful to them all as they support us with finance, volunteering, prayer and regular encouraging phone calls & emails! These supporters include:

Our honorary patrons -
 
Rev Paul Hills, Regional Minister of Eastern Baptist Association 
Rt Rev Nigel Stock, Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
Rev Stephen Yelland, Superintendent Minister, Bury St Edmunds Methodist Circuit

And -

Rev D. Mathers
Thurston C of E
Alison Burgess
Canon R. Norburn
Southgate Community Church
All Saints Church
Chris Parsons
West Suffolk Vineyard
David Miles
Parkview Chapel, Botesdale
Emma Malcolm
West Road Church
Helen Allum
Norton Baptist
Ian Foreman
Ian Nurcombe
West Road Church
St Peter's C of E
Jonathan Warnock   
Sporting 87 Football Club
Keith Harknett
Bradfield Gospel Hall
Kevin Gladwell
Parkview Chapel, Bottesdale
Mark Wallace
High Street Chapel Hopton
Rev D. Crofts
St Peter's C of E
Norman Blows
NF Kingsgate
Phil Golding
Bradfield Gospel Hall
Rev A. Gates
Gt Barton C of E
Rev J. Ford
Christ Curch, Moreton Hall
Rev J. Fulton
Rev K.Ross
Hepworth C of E
Bradfield and Rougham Baptist Church
Rev M. Rogers
St Mary's C of E
Rev N. Cutler
Rev P. Gibson
Rougham C of E
Southgate Community Church
Rev R. Farrell
Woolpit C of E
Rev R. Green
Garland St Baptist
Rev S. Hill
Cockfield C of E
Rev V. Spencer
Richard Leveritt
Shaun Richardson
Trinity Methodist
Gt Barton Free Church
Southgate Community Church
Simon Ladd
West Road Church
Tony and Caroline Redman
Gt Livermere C of E
Tony Hood
Counties
Victor Jack
Evangelist and Bible teacher