Meet the DDYC staff, Council and working groups by clicking through the tabs below.

Meet the DDYC staff, Council and working groups by clicking through the tabs below.

DDYC Staff

Meet the staff:

Andrew Brannigan

Andrew (or ‘Brandy’ as he is also known –don’t ask about the origins of the nickname!) has been the Diocesan Youth Officer for over 12 years now and absolutely loves his work. He is married to Lynne and has three daughters; Emily, Elizabeth and Grace. If he had spare time he would use it reading, hiking, going to the cinema, listening to The Jayhawks and taking his wife out to nice restaurants. Brandy also heads up the Youth and Children’s Department.

 

Julie Currie

Julie joined the Department in January 2011, having previously been the Youth and Children’s Worker for CMSI and a teacher before that. She has a great passion for supporting Sunday School leaders and children’s ministry in general. Julie loves to travel and is aiming to beat Brandy in their shared ambition to visit all 7 continents, She is so into her continents, some would even say she's in-continent! She is also a leader in her local Urban Saints youth group in Newtownards.

 

Tracy Fisher

Tracy spent 2 weeks with the Down and Dromore youth team to Albany in summer 2011 and despite the fact that Julie and Simon Henry were her leaders she applied to be our Intern for 2011-12. Tracy is a big help to the Department (doing all those jobs that Julie and Brandy don’t) and is also involved with her local parish in Waringstown. Tracy is very fussy with her food and steers clear of most things that are healthy!

 

DDYC Council

Meet the Youth and Children’s Council:

Rev. Bryan Martin

Bryan (left) is the Chairman of the Youth and Children’s Council. And is the Rector of Donaghcloney and Waringstown. He is married to Lesa and has 3 young children and when he gets the chance likes a bit of reading or watching football (ManU) or rugby (Ireland). He used to be involved in the old Down and Dromore Youth Council years ago so mustn’t have found the experience too bad if he was willing to join again!

 

Stephen Doherty

Stephen is the Director of Youth and Family Ministry in St. Marks, Newtownards –where he has spent the last 6 years developing church based and school programmes for families, children and young people. He is married to Gemma with 3 sons and is a big fan of reality TV –he hates getting interrupted during X-Factor!

 

Dave Linton

Dave is youth ministry co-ordinator in Magheralin Parish Church. He heads up many exciting and innovative youth events which leave him wrecked for the DDYC council. It was during one of his 5 minute power naps that we voted him on as our treasurer. He woke up after the vote and still doesn't know anything about it... Dave has been involved with youth ministry for over 10 years.

 

Rachel Lusty

Rachel (pictured with her husband - we're not sure which one she is either!!) hails from Bangor and volunteers with her local church, she loves working with children, which perhaps explains why she turned up to the first DDYC committee meeting thinking she was joining the childrens council (the one Julie runs) it was only 3 weeks after that she realised. Worryingly, Rachel is also our secretary... We haven't had any minutes from the last meeting yet... We're not holding our breath!

 

Angela Megarry

Angela is the Children’s Worker for Mount Merrion Parish in East Belfast where she runs a varied programme that includes homework’s, puppets and messy church! She likes taking the dogs for walk and watching the American Office with a plate of M & S cookies to hand and once had an embarrassing encounter with a jellyfish!

 

Martin Montgomery

Martin is one of the Down and Dromore Youth ‘Old School’ –having been around as a young person on committees when we actually had to post things instead of e-mailing. He is the Youth Ministry Co-ordinator in Seapatrick, Banbridge and has been an employed youth worker for over 9 years now.

 

Lynne Patterson

 

 

Matt Peach

Matt is the Director of the Logic Café –a youth centre initiative of Moira Parish to build bridges between the church and young people in the local community. He comes from an outdoor pursuits background and regularly takes young people away on enjoyable/painful adventure holidays. He grows his own veg, keeps chickens and regularly has to feed the Moira Youth Minister, Simon Henry!

 

Youth Working Group

Meet the Youth Working Group:

Simon Henry

Simon is the Youth & Children’s Ministry Co-ordinator and all-round minor celebratory in Moira Parish where he is involved in everything from Sunday School to Youth Fellowship to Choirs. He is a huge fan of the 1980’s (despite having missed most of it!) and can probably quote any song or movie line from that decade (we’re not kidding!).

 

Peter Hilton

Peter Hilton (or Peter Hilton as we like to call him) is a real life legend. He not only is a youth worker, but he also works for the Leperacy Mission so he truly has a heart of gold... Although he wrote that about himself we do sort of agree. Peter is married to Gemma and when he is not working, he likes nothing more than chilling out in front of the telly with Mrs Hilton... Although Gemma gets a bit jealous of the time he spends with his mum, she puts up with it because of his kind heart and general all round wonderfulness!

 

 

Rachel Lusty

Rachel is originally from Bangor, and has worked with such luminaries as Wally, Craig Lutton and someone else. She is a very nice girl who likes to stalk people on facebook but this has got her in trouble so we can't talk about it.

Rachel joined DDYC this year as she wanted something to improve her CV, however her infinite knowledge, brilliant ideas and witty banter have all gone unnoticed as Brandy dominates every meeting talking about when he was young... She decided to get married to Richard Lusty this year, and although he wasn't too keen on the idea at first, he soon came round when he found out he would get on the Confirmation Weekend for half price from now on because of his new wife's connections...

 

 

Craig Lutton

Craig is one of those rare people who have come right through the system, from young person to DDYC regular to DDYC council member - and he's got all the stories to prove it. Craig has the uncanny knack of being able to simultaneously tell mundane stories in ways which make them seem extra boring while at the same time amusing himself no end... This is obviously not a good combination as we are reminded of every year in the Sub Camp leaders tent. "did you hear about the time...?" YES CRAIG....

 

Martin Montgomery

Martin has been the Youth Worker in Seapatrick Parish for the last 4 years, though he's been doing it for over 9 years now. He constantly gets asked by people when he is going to become a real minister... The fact it's his own young people who ask him has nothing to do with the fact they want rid of him for a newer, cooler youth worker like Moira has...

He's been on DDYC for a long time and has perfected the knack of arriving late and leaving early... (Only kidding Brandy!)

 

 

Natalie Patterson

Natalie has been about for ages and is a true testament to the power of persistence. Regardless of how many times we ignored her, told her to clear off or hid from her, she just kept coming back. Now she has managed to get on to DDYC - what a girl!

Natalie has just become a doctor, but not a real one - just one of them fake ones who work in hospitals and take blood pressure all day long. She's a nice girl who serves the Lord with passion. At least that what she tells people - even though they don't ask!

 

Katy Purvis

Katy is a member of the DDYC 'Old School' which means that she has been going to DDYC initiatives since way back in the 2000-2001 season. Despite the fact that she has been around for so long she still does youth stuff like watch High School musical and so is the resident expert for us in youth culture.

Katy is also one of the original Holywood girls and was a leader there for several years, a youthworker at Ballyholme and now works full time for Holywood Youth Trust while still leading at HYP. Katy is secretary to the DDYC and likes to swan off to America to go shopping in her spare time.

 

Children's Working Group

Meet the Children’s Working Group

John Beattie

 

 

Angela Megarry

Angela is the Children’s Worker for Mount Merrion Parish in East Belfast where she runs a varied programme that includes homework’s, puppets and messy church! She likes taking the dogs for walk and watching the American Office with a plate of M & S cookies to hand and once had an embarrassing encounter with a jellyfish!

 

Lynne Patterson

 

 

Joy Brown

 

 

Claire Hunter

 

 

Alison Hunter

 

 

Dianne Minford

 

 

Tracy Fisher

The Down and Dromore Youth and Children’s Department was set up by the Diocese in 2011 as an amalgamation of Diocesan youth ministry and a newly created children’s ministry.  It currently includes a development officer for children and one for young people as well as several volunteers.  It is advised by a youth and children’s council and supported by two distinct working groups for both children and young people.

Our broad aim is to resource and support the development of effective youth and children’s ministry in Parishes and across the Diocese of Down and Dromore.  In 2011 our 78 parishes organised or hosted 590 separate initiatives for children and young people involving almost 2,000 voluntary leaders.