24-7 YouthWork is a network of churches and schools and, as such,
communication is vital to us.
If you have any questions, concerns or comments, please don’t hesitate
to make contact – we will endeavour to get back to you as soon as we can.
If you are a school or church looking to get started with 24-7YW, your first
point of call is your local Regional Coordinator. If you are a person looking
to be employed as a youth worker, then please check out our vacancies.
Contact Us
Office Location:
24-7YW Office
244 Lyttelton Street
Spreydon 8024
Christchurch, New Zealand
+ 64 3 338 4327
Postal Address:
PO Box 33092
Barrington 8244
Christchurch, New Zealand
Email:
National Staff
Service and Implementation
24-7YW operates on a decentralised model, empowering local stakeholders to support their local communities and encouraging region-to-region support.
This accounts for our small National Staff whose main priorities are to serve local communities and implement nationwide initiatives.
Jay Geldard
National Director
Jay Geldard started out his days in youth work with the 24-7YW Hornby Presbyterian team at Hornby High School. He completed eight years in the school before moving on to work full time for the National 24-7YW Network in 2009.
Jay is passionate about working with young people in schools and says, “The teenage years are often some of the toughest and young people need good role models to help them transition well into adulthood.”
He has a real heart to see churches and schools working closer together for the benefit of the students and is excited about the future growth of the Network.
Alan Aitken
National Development Specialist
Alan Aitken is a management consultant for a variety of charitable and community-based organisations including 24-7YW. He has been involved with church and community groups for over 25 years including 16 years as a church pastor which saw him undertake a range of youth, administration, teaching and leadership roles.
Al reflects that success, in whatever charitable organisation, is always about people and always comes back to people.
Andrena McPhillips
National Administrator
Andrena McPhillips joined the 24-7YW team in 2018. Prior to this, Andrena was in an office management role with a local building company and also brings over ten years of Sales and Marketing knowledge, having previously worked in the Tourism Industry.
Andrena brings a genuine love and calling for administration. The greatest part of her work is supporting and encouraging others in their mahi. Andrena was drawn to 24-7YouthWork as she sees the value of being present for young people and the difference that can make.
Nicky Geldard
National Operations Manager
After spending six years high school teaching, Nicky Geldard joined the 24-7YW team in 2011.
Initially trained as a journalist, Nicky loves using her communications background to indirectly be involved in schools work. She believes young people hunger after genuine relationship and sees youth work as one way of fulfilling that need.
Judith McConnell
Events Manager
Judith McConnell has been a part of the 24-7YW family since 2013 (as our Trust Accountant), however, her sense of fun and excellent organisational skills meant she was the perfect person to take on the management of 24-7YW events.
She loves interacting with youth workers and providing them with experiences that enhance and effectively input into their work in schools. Concerned with the welfare of our nation’s young people, Judith sees her role as supporting those who are on the coalface.
Judith is a trained Accountant and has worked in various commercial roles, including Financial Accountant for Christchurch International Airport Ltd; she then started her own business to support not-for-profit organisations.
Regional Coordinators
Partnership and Vision
Along with the national staff 24-7 YouthWork is led by representatives from the regions that meet four times a year.
The principal roles of the regional coordinators are to:
• Be a point of contact for churches and schools in their area.
• Meet with Team Leaders in their region and represent the collective voice of the youth workers from their area.
• Provide strategic vision for the 24-7YW Network.
Grant Warner
Auckland
Appointed as the Auckland Development Coordinator at the beginning of 2013, Grant Warner has been invaluable to the RCG due to his background in education and family development.
Affiliated with Green Bay High School and Titirangi Baptist, Grant enjoys seeing youth work changing the world one person at a time.
Jess Suisted
Bay of Plenty
Jess Suisted was a youth worker at Cambridge High School from 2010 – 2014. She is based in the beautiful town of Opotiki and joined the RCG in 2015 to begin sharing the vision for 24-7YW in the Bay of Plenty area.
Jess is passionate about churches building up their local communities!
Viki Johnson
Waikato
Viki Johnson started working with children over 25 yrs ago and has never left! After working in the ECE industry she made the change to tertiary teaching with a Level 5 Certificate at Vision College in the School of Education. Viki joined the team at Raleigh Street Christian Centre in 2017 as the Children’s Pastor.
In 2019, Viki started leading the team of Youth Workers at Cambridge Middle School. She discovered a great love and appreciation for this age group and has enjoyed many hours chatting with the awesome Middle Schoolers. In fact she loved it so much, she signed up to be the Regional Coordinator for the Waikato Region.
Daryl Judd
Wellington
Daryl Judd became the Team Leader for Tawa College when the school joined the 24-7YW Network at the beginning of 2015. Employed as the Youth and Associate Pastor at Tawa Baptist, Daryl has been involved in youth work (either paid or voluntary) for a number of years.
Daryl has been interested in the work of 24-7YW and Duane Major (24-7YW founder) for many years and his maturity and sound wisdom are a welcome addition to the Regional Coordinators Group, which he joined late 2015.
Nick Ippolito
Nelson/Marlborough
Nick Ippolito has been doing youth work in America and all around New Zealand since 2003. He has been a youth worker at Waimea College since 2014 and is also the Team Leader.
At the start of 2015, Nick was appointed as the Regional Coordinator for the Nelson/Marlborough area. Nick is affiliated with Hope Community Church.
Luke Gardiner
Canterbury
Luke Gardiner started as a youth worker in 2001 at Hillmorton High as a part of South West Baptist Church (formerly Spreydon Baptist). He completed eight years before going to university and then training as a secondary teacher.
Luke has now come full circle as he became the Canterbury Regional Coordinator in January, 2015. We greatly value his historical knowledge and on-the-ground understanding of what it means to be a 24-7YW youth worker.
Ruby Bowman
South Canterbury
Ruby Bowman started as a youth worker at Ashburton Intermediate in 2016 and also Ashburton College in 2018. Based at Ashburton New Life Church, Ruby joined the team as a Regional Coordinator at the start of 2020.
Ruby has a passion to see the next generation empowered and understand their value and purpose.
Don’t see your region?
24-7 YouthWork is growing and we have different opportunities happening around the country! If you don’t see a Regional Coordinator listed for your region, we would still love to hear from you. Please contact our National Director.
24-7YW Board of Trustees
Guardianship and empowerment
24-7 YouthWork is governed by a voluntary board of trustees that meets four times a year with input from Jay Geldard, the Network Coordinator.
The principal roles of the board are to:
• Ensure that the Trust is coherent, responsible and viable.
• That its activities remain true to the ethos of 24-7YW.
• Oversee the work of Network staff.
Grant Chivers |
Chairperson
Grant Chivers has recently moved to the role of kaihautū / Lead Pastor of Northcity Church in Papanui, Christchurch. Grant has been involved with different Youth Trusts, Youth Work and Children’s Work of varying sorts for the last 25 years. He works with four not-for-profits around the city. Grant’s passion is to see young people flourish and grow into healthy, contributing, whole adults.
Grant and his wife, Emma, spent three years with YWAM (Youth With A Mission) in Southern Africa in their life before kids and their passions are youth, children, Global Missions and family – along with a great cup of coffee or a mountain bike ride on a forest track.
Marcus Driller |
Vice Chairperson
Marcus Driller is Vice President Corporate at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. His role encompasses investor and media relations, legal, corporate communications, reporting, and sponsorship. Marcus is passionate about seeing businesses, not-for-profit organisations, churches, and schools coming together to form stronger communities in Aotearoa. He was drawn to 24-7YW because of their desire to make a difference in the lives of young New Zealanders, who will not only play an important part in our future communities but are an integral part of our communities today.
Marcus is married to Toni and with their 3 children, they enjoy music, biking, travelling and getting out on the water.
Alan Ameye |
Alan Ameye, and his wife Heather, spent thirteen years working for YFC (Youth for Christ) in Wellington before moving to the City of Sails to serve as youth pastors for nearly eleven years at Windsor Park Baptist Church on the North Shore.
His current role is the Northern Regional Youth Ministry Coach for Baptist Churches, which he has been doing for the last seven years. Alan enjoys identifying and observing trends in youth ministry and endeavours to keep up with new initiatives around the world. He loves sitting with Youth Pastors and hearing their stories over a coffee (which he doesn’t drink so it’s usually a water).
Alan Aitken |
Alan Aitken is a management consultant for a variety of charitable and community-based organisations including 24-7YW.
He has been involved with church and community groups for over 25 years including 16 years as a church pastor which saw him undertake a range of youth, administration, teaching and leadership roles.
Al reflects that success, in whatever charitable organisation, is always about people and always comes back to people.
Gabrielle Bisseker |
Gabrielle Bisseker is a former 24-7YW Youth Worker at Rangiora High. For the last seven years, Gabrielle has been working as a Child and Family Psychologist with a special interest in helping teens with chronic suicidal and self-harm behaviour. She is also clinical educator with the Child and Family Psychology Programme at the University of Canterbury.
Outside of work, Gabrielle enjoys being creative, learning new skills and having mini-adventures.
Junior Tana |
Junior Tana has been working in the education sector for the past 15 years. He has taught at the University of Canterbury, Te Kaupapa Whakaora Alternative Education, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuirāngi.
Junior holds a Masters of Te Reo Māori and is also a Te Panekiretanga graduate. He currently provides academic and cultural advice and sits on a number of boards, including the Waitaha Cultural Council, Te Matatini and Te Ora Hou.
Teresa Parsons |
Teresa Parsons is a 24-7YW Team Leader and a full-time student support worker at Waitara High School, in Taranaki. She and her husband Sam have been working with rangatahi in Waitara for 6 years.
Teresa absolutely loves being part of the student support team at Waitara High School looking after their small town’s rangatahi. Teresa is privileged to share this pivotal part of their lives with them.
Vacancies
Please note: all vacancies for youth work, a youth pastor position or church workers can now be found on the Kingdom Connect website.
