saswtrust staff:
Our projects are currently led by our two staff members, who happen to be married:
Tabz
‘Tabz’ (more formally known as David Taberner) has been our lead Schools Worker for almost a decade. He started pioneering youth work at just 18 years old, responding to a local need, filled with a passion he received through the 24-7 Prayer Movement as a relatively new Christian. Alongside this, Tabz actually studied civil engineering and project management to masters level, but through a growing passion for young people and God’s work, he found a calling to our ministry in late 2013 and made the brave step of a career change. Tabz is also particularly involved in Christ Church and the Southport Methodist Circuit as a preacher as well as other inter-church projects. He’s a semi-pro musician (in his limited spare time!), loves techie design projects, and has a slightly characteristic hairstyle!
hettie
Hettie is Tabz’s (much) better half who moved to Southport in May 2017 taking up a new post as pioneer of our Good Sport Ministry. Her role has evolved and grown beyond sports ministry since then, due to the popularity of all our different projects and the gifts she brings. She is originally from Burnley, where she was a Kids Pastor for a large church alongside her Children In Need funded youth work job managing young volunteers in one of the 10 most deprived areas of the UK. Hettie is currently studying to be a primary school teacher, using SASW Trust projects as teaching experience (which we are really benefitting from!) She is also a qualified football coach, has played for two women’s teams, is a great singer, 83% extravert, and still manages to be way cooler than Tabz!
Volunteers+partners
We couldn’t do any of the work we do without the support of a diverse bunch of volunteers. In fact, it would be counter to our ethos to even try without them! Engaging and equipping local church communities to be the change they want to see, making a lasting difference to children and young people is a central part of every project we run.
Sometimes we’re all hands on deck for projects like Mission Impossible. Other times there’s just a few of us, specifically trained in different areas, eg. pastoral conversation, mental health first aid, drama & communication.
We have several churches who don’t just partner with us in sourcing volunteers, but also with the involvement of their staff – not just invaluable youth workers, but also pastors, vicars, ministers, and outreach workers, to name a few! They never come with an ‘agenda’, other than simply to serve. Yet, so often we hear amazing stories of children, young people, and even families, beginning to engage with church events in the most beautifully organic way because of the way they have encountered our volunteers & partners.
We work closely with Scripture Union’s ‘Revealing Jesus Framework’ and provide training for volunteers through the likes of our ‘Youthscape Essentials’ course. Although, there’s plenty of jobs to do, just a quick induction could be all it takes for you to join us in making a difference – how about it?
trustees
We are blessed with a board of trustees to share the load of ensuring all is managed well behind the scenes, working together to strategise and discern our vision, keeping our staff to account, whilst raising the necessary funds to continue and extend the projects we run. They are an eclectic mix of clergy and school staff, to software developers and grandparents -each member invaluably gifted.
You!
We believe you have a place in our mission! Whoever you are, whatever your background, stage of life, range of skills, or experience – the children and young people we work with NEED you! There’s plenty of behind the scenes jobs that you might never have thought of, as well as the face-to-face work.
Like the old proverb says, “it takes a village to raise a child”. So if you know children, through family or otherwise, you’re in the perfect place to continue the conversation, supporting them in their exploration beyond school. If not, always remember our “Make A Difference” stages on Page 3: Keep reading, Spread the word, Support us & Pray!
