All rounder Roger is thrown in at the deep end

EVERY day Roger commutes 1½ hours each way from his home in south-east London.

“The first person able to identify my job was a 12-year-old who said, ‘You’re going to be the caretaker then!’ Maintenance, servicing equipment, getting rooms equipped for groups, cleaning, security, health and safety, fire safety – if it’s not someone else’s job, it’s mine. Christ said He came to serve. If you want to lead, you’ve got to be able to serve with the love that comes from God.

“Right from when I left school, each job has been totally different and adds to my range of skills and abilities. Some people think I can do anything; I can’t. God’s still working on me!

“The JA throws you in at deep end – but it’s okay because the leaders jump in with you and help you swim.

“Now the Centre’s open it’s no longer just a place to come to work, it’s a place that’s alive. I see people looking at it big-eyed, saying ‘You’ve got all of this’ – the ESOL and conversation classes, the tea room, the guys coming in to the drop-in.

“I’d like to lead a craft group in woodcraft, ceramics or mosaics – either I’ve got skills or I know people who have. And I’d like to see the Centre full all the time. That will cause me its own problems, but that’s what I want!”