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The Team
our team

Libby Woodward - Director
Libby is our director.  Libby joins us from Nottingham where she served in Trent Vineyard Church.  At various points during this period, she took on the roles of youth work coordinator, assistant pastor and schools worker, working for a year as a covering RE teacher in one of the local secondary schools.  She moved to Chelmsford in2008 after marrying her husband Graham.  Libby is a keen skier and attends Rayleigh Vineyard.

Andy Aldridge - Senior Schools Worker
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's SYM's new schools worker! He was last a full-time schools worker back in 2001 as part of a gap year with PACE in Poole and Bournemouth. A year later Andy spent 3 years locked up at Moorlands College, where he escaped with a BA in Applied Theology. Since 2005, Andy has been at Milton Keynes Theatre doing many varied jobs, including being part of the leadership of the youth theatre. In addition to all of this, Andy also completed a BTEC in performing arts. He loves movies, curries and Dr Pepper, is massively into sport (watching!) and is an avid MK Dons fan.

Jo Morgan - Schools Worker
 Jo has been working with SYM since January 2008.  Qualifying as a mental health nurse in 1996, Jo spent a number of years delivering care for people with serious mental illnesses, drug/alcohol problems, eating disorders and issues with self harm.  In 2000, Jo became a Christian and now attends Rayleigh Vineyard church.   Sjhe has been involved with youth work in a church environment for many years and married to Andy with two children, Jacob and Daniel.

Lynsey Crisp - Administrator

Lynsey joined SYM in October 2007 having previously worked in the commercial sector as an operations manager.  A Christian since 2001, she is currently an active member of St Mary’s Church, Great Baddow, where she sings in a worship band and works with pre-school children.  Lynsey is married to Mark and is blessed with two young daughters.

our associates
Alongside our contracted team, we are blessed to have an amazing team of associates who, despite having other jobs and commitments, offer a massive array of lessons and services to schools (see the lessons page)
Dr Gareth Sherwood
Gareth is the youth pastor at Elim Church in Chelmsford.  He is a registered medical doctor with 8 years experience in hospital medicine.  He has also studied postgraduate ethics and has a keen interest in philosophy, theology and apologetics.  He has been an associate with SYM since 2005 teaching in schools across Chelmsford and specialising in GCSE, AS Level and A Level studies in RE, citizenship, general studies and philosophy.  Gareth is married to Sonja with two children, Jack and Naomi.
James Bell
James has been invloved in youth work for 16 years since becoming a Christian.  He worked for 4 years in Hull, undertaking detached work with his local church and DART.  Throughout his ministry he has orked closely with kids who have been abusing solvents and drugs and has also ministered to the homeless.  He now lives in Chelmsford where he works as a youth pastor at Tile Kiln Church .  He has been married for 11 years to Rachel and has four children aged from 2 to 9 years old.
Susanna Hart
Susanna is an officer in the Salvation Army in Wickford where she focuses on church and community youth work. She is a skilled musician and the leader of Straight Ahead Youth Choir which consists of young people from across Essex. In her spare time, Susanna enjoys cooking, hosting parties and drinking tea. Since October 2008, Susanna has been assisting the emerge programme in the William de Ferrers School.

our management board

John Grayston (Chair)
John was the director of theology for Scripture Union until his retirement at the end of 2009. Over the years he has been involved in church leadership and youth work. He enjoys skiing, hillwalking and photography. He is married to Jenny and they have two children and four grandchildren.
Peter Loose
Peter is an engineer and retired businessman.  Married to Faith for 42 years , he is the father of 4 children (all of whom were schooled in Chelmsford) and grandfather of 5.  He has lived in Chelmsford for 40 years.  Peter attends Elim church, is a trustee of CADEF and works tirelessly with Chelmsford Crusaders teenagers every week.  Peter is SYM’s treasurer.
Matt Franklin
Matt has recently joined the board. He is married to Kerry and father to three gorgeous girls aged 3, 8 and 10. Matt, who is a graduate of Brunel University, a qualified teacher and former Police Officer, is now working in the field of security and risk management. He is also a governor of St Michael's Junior School, Galleywood. He worships at the Elim Christian Centre in Chelmsford.
Susan Ives
Revd Susan Ives is the Associate Minister of Chelmsford St Andrew's church in Melbourne and is the Education and Parish Links Advisor for the Chelmsford Deaneries. She lives in Writtle with her husband.

Jill Readings

Jill recently joined the board. She lives in Chelmsford with her husband and two teenage children and worships at St Andrew's Church, Melbourne. Currently a senior teacher at St Peter's College, she is a chemistry teacher by training and also has taught at Moulsham High and the Anglo European school. She loves music - from Purcell to Pendulum, especially if it is live.