Simon Cross
Having shaken off the ‘Ben from Outnumbered look-a-likey’ tag, Simon is now known for the many talents that he brings to the group. He is our tech guru, ensuring that we’re always up-to-date, and produces incredible films to help us reminisce about all the fun we’ve had, plus share our faith with a whole new group of people. His enthusiasm is a great gift to us in his roles at both AK and our 14-18 life group.
Steve Edwards
If Steve was a superhero, he would undoubtedly be Hawkeye, as he has the uncanny ability to see things that many of us would miss. His awareness of situations and young people’s emotions is a gift that we are very blessed to have in our team, and this combined with his incredible servant nature is a wonderful model to be followed by both leaders and young people alike. Steve is currently one of the key team leaders at our open-access youth group, Alive and Kicking.
Loves: Stourbridge FC, family and friends, and my garden.
Molly Kirkham
Molly is one of our newest leaders, supporting J Team, Alive and Kicking and the Alpha Youth Series at Kinver High School. She has been part of AD33 as a young person and now leader since 2014, always looking at ways to support others and bringing a smile to their faces in the process!
Loves: Friends, food and listening to music
Eliza Yair
Eliza has been part of AD33 for as long as she can remember. She is passionate about sharing her faith and supporting good causes. Her love of history ensures that all our teaching sessions are historically accurate, and she claims she’d beat anyone in a Harry Potter trivia quiz.
Alison Haynes
Alison is another member of the team who has been involved with AD33 since she was a young person herself. Her dedication to our work is immense and she is one of our team representatives on the board of trustees. As well as her day job as a tutor, Alison uses her skills to support young people with issues surrounding self-harm, and is a support group facilitator for self-harm.co.uk’s online support programme, Alumina.
Alison is currently taking a sabbatical from youth ministry after the birth of her baby boy, Benji.
Dave Yair
Dave is into his third decade of working with young people in Kinver and has a real heart for talking to people and sharing experiences. His background in engineering leads to him creating some incredible games and activities that young people still talk about years later! He has an infectious desire to explore matters of faith and well-being, enabling young people to challenge themselves in a supportive environment. Dave is currently involved in our open access youth group, Alive & Kicking.
Loves: Cross country running with friends (with occasional tree climbing or stream jumping breaks), having fun with my family on day trips, making and breaking things (trying to understand how things work).
Alison Saunders
Having previously been a high school teacher, and now an English tutor, Ali brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team, plus a whole lot of fun and creativity. She leads our ecumenically run children’s club, J Team, bringing to life the incredible stories of the Bible, while giving children the opportunity to explore, question and engage with faith and relationship with God.
Loves: Meal time chattering and laughing with the family, swimming, singing worship songs at the top of her voice in the car.
Jes Harris
Jes has been a part of the Church in Kinver all her life and brings great fun and enthusiasm to the team. She is currently training to be a lawyer, having completed her law degree at Birmingham University, which means she is fantastic to have on your side in a debate – her input into the great ‘Samsung vs Apple’ debate is still reminisced about by young people to this day! Her passion for more serious issues and her down-to-earth approach make her a valued member of the AK team and the board of trustees.
Loves: Watching old movies, travelling, and relaxing with family & friends.
Lucy Pedley
Lucy has been involved with AD33, as a young person and now a leader, for the last 14 years. Her combined knowledge of Psychology and Counselling, which she studied at Exeter Uni and Newman Uni respectively, together with her passion for seeing young people grow and succeed, make her an extremely valuable member of our team. She is currently involved in our open access youth group, Alive & Kicking, and co-leads life groups for 14-18 year olds and young girls.
Loves: Being with friends, family and her babies, dancing, the countryside.
Lucy is currently taking a sabbatical from youth ministry after the birth of her twins, Arthur and Evangeline.
Mentors
We also have an incredible team of volunteer mentors who give their time, on a regular basis, to support and encourage young people who are at risk of exclusion, educational failure or need support to build self-esteem.
Trustees
The charity is run by a selection of people from both churches in Kinver and the AD33 leadership team. They offer guidance to the leadership team, supporting those who work with the young people, promoting the work of the charity and ensuring financial stability.
The current board of trustees are:
Andrew Stilton – Chairperson
Jes Harris – Team Representative
Simon Cross – Team Representative
Rosie Molony – Treasurer & Kinver Methodist Representative
Linda Cross – Secretary & Team Representative
Sue Denson – Youth Pastor Line Manager & Kinver Methodist Representative
Sarah Maitland-Powell – St Peter’s Representative
Nick Other – St Peter’s Representative
Rev. Karen Stanton – Rector of Kinver & Enville
Rev. Peter Knight – Minister of Kinver Methodist Church
All AD33 volunteers and staff are DBS (CRB) and reference checked for their suitability and your safety.