As a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

Grown up!

How did you get involved in education?

I was advised that I could finish some postgraduate work and teach in High School at the same time - not a clever suggestion. I did teach RE but I didn't finish the work! I didn't go back after the children were born. Instead, I took up the challenge of supporting Further Education students, first in a detached youth worker type of role and then working for the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) heading up its college department.

'A few good men'. How do we lure people into being interested in Further Education Colleges?

This is my biggest frustration. In any one year 9% of the British population receives some sort of training from a Further Education College and yet it is still the Cinderella of the education world. When I speak in a church there are always people studying or who have a family member studying in an FE college, and yet the church never thinks of praying for the college that may be as near as over the road. C'mon everyone - love your local college!

What is your hope for Further Education?

The Further Education Colleges of the UK did not grow out of the work of the Church as did the University Sector so there is no expectation that there will be a chaplain on site. Neither is there any statutory requirement for RE provision. A few colleges have a paid chaplain, some have a voluntary chaplain and a very few teach RE at AS and A2 level. My hope is that colleges will stop saying 'we are secular institutions and don't need that sort of thing here.' But more than that, that they will embrace the need for students to grow spiritually as well as develop skills and that Christians and local churches will step up to the mark and bless their local college.

What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out in a Further Education College?

I would say, colleges are about new starts, second, third and fourth chances and looking forward to great things. So you are entering a place that practically acts out God's very heart for humankind. So go about teaching, learning and serving, whatever you do, with confidence that you can indeed serve the King of Kings in that place.

What would you do with a million quid?

I would definitely invest most of it in the work of Festive. We get fantastic 16 - 19 year olds contacting us saying they want to make a difference in their schools and colleges but they don't know how to do this. We want to encourage and resource them better and better. We get some church workers - youth or pastors - who want to bless their colleges but can't find a way to get through the door - so lots of work to do there. We have chaplains who would love to do more but are strapped for time and cash, and youth organisations that are beginning to think how can we encourage our oldest young people to keep going and speak for Jesus? And then there are places where nothing is happening and we want to kick start it.

The rest - there are some fantastic projects around run by great saints and I would love to give them some encouragement

Who, or what, is your mentor?

Hudson Taylor, not that I ever knew him - I am not that old yet! His writings have seen me through times of trauma and times of adventure.

Tell us one of your most hilarious faux pas

My faux pas are just silly, never funny.

Martin Luther King Jr had a dream for society. What is yours?

That society will humble itself and admit that God's blueprint is spot on.

What is the main hindrance to living the dream?

Moi!

What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

There was once a little boy who handed over 5 loaves and 2 fishes and wow…. I am continually amazed at how the work I have had the privilege of being involved in is taken by God and multiplied. So learning that lesson is my greatest achievement so far.