Who are GenR8?....come and meet the team.

Jackie Smith

Ely

Jackie Smith is an ex-head teacher who joined GenR8 at its inception. She has a family of one husband, three sons, one chimpanzee, one sheep, one camel, two sparrows, one very noisy crow and two young puppets! She enjoys her work in schools as it is more peaceful than life at home (except when John or Steve are on her team!) Then she says life at home is suddenly very attractive!

Julia Stone

Cottenham

Julia is married to Leon and they have 2 boys at primary school. The boys have always loved GenR8 visits to their school and Julia is amazed and privileged to find herself part of it too! "It's great fun"

Carol Thorndike

St Ives

Carol is married to Bob and they have 3 children. 11 years ago they established a charity working to help local disadvantaged adults and children. Part of this work involves organising and taking children away on holiday where they will encounter new things, including experiencing God’s love for them. GenR8 is another way local children hear of His love, and Carol is excited and privileged to be part of this work.

Jane Farewell

Cambridge

Jane is a wife and mother of 3 grown sons. All four of her ‘boys' are Canadian. When possible she enjoys canoeing in the wilderness otherwise it’s on the Cam. When not out with the GenR8 team Jane loves gardening, cooking and DIY but not all at the same time!

David Newton

Cottenham

David is a house husband, an ICT Teaching Assistant in a Primary School, and a member of Cottenham Baptist Church. In his early days in GenR8 he discovered his alter ego in the form of Gordon the puppet. In his spare time he enjoys almost anything which is outdoors and away from computers and phones!

Janeane Hails

Royston

Janeane is a mum of three young children. She remembered one school assembly that spoke loads to her and wanted to join GenR8 because of this and she likes drama! She is a member of Trinity Life Church in Royston.

Caroline North

Haslingfield

Caroline joined GenR8 in 2003. She joined thinking it was a serious ministry where laughing was forbidden especially during the actual assemblies, but soon found that the content of most of the presentations has her rolling in tears (of joy!)

Tim North

Haslingfield

Although not involved directly in the school tours, Tim has been active in some of the many events born from the success of GenR8 and has been made an honorary member ( he's got the T-Shirt ! ) Married to Caroline ( a real GenR8er) and living in Haslingfield with their two teenage daugthers he is a member of Barnwell Baptist Church and was once described on local radio as 'Cambridge's answer to Handy Andy!

Dianne Conway

Sawston

A key organiser within the GenR8 set up, Dianne is a calming influence on any GenR8 team she is part of. As an ex teacher Dianne is in a good position to offer insight and advice in the realm of school. She also knows everybody in the Sawston area!

Myra Gaunt

Haddenham

Our Scottish tiger! Myra has grown in confidence enormously over the past couple of years and is a real asset to GenR8 as well as the Ely based Light & Life team. Myra throws herself into most roles (the trouble is she can't get out!) and is an enthusiastic and key team member. She would be outstanding, but we can't  understand a word of her strange dialect!

Helen Tobiss

Royston

A mum of 3 Helen is the Royston teams tour bus driver! Helen is incredibly reliable and can turn her hand to almost anything - except when her husband disappears to London with the car keys leaving all the GenR8 props locked in the car! Helen’s Devonshire accent can be a real asset particularly in sketches. Helen's early roles included a Devonshire sea anemone and a part in an Egyptian freeze! Helen still has problems in learning her lines, even when the only line is “shh, don’t tell ‘em”.

Mandy Jeffery

Ickleton

Nicknamed ‘The Little Actress’ at home, Mandy made a shaky start when, aged 6, she refused to play her recorder at the local music festival. Dancing proved more successful and she unwittingly performed her first solo in a Dancing School show being the only person to have got changed in time for the next item. She is now regularly to be found dressing up and making an exhibition of herself whenever and wherever possible and if it's for God, even better!

Isabel Powell

Needingworth

No sooner had we got hold of Isabel, then, she moved house! but if she thought Needingworth would be far enough away to escape GenR8's clutches she was wrong! Isabel is one of the team's ex teachers who is experiencing visits to school as a volunteer rather than a full-time staff member. Isabel is keen to try a range of roles within GenR8, and has stuck with it despite having Steve as part of her first ever team!

Claire Palmer

Hardwick

Claire works part time as a speech and language therapist, she is married to Simon with two children, Sam and Abbie. Claire really enjoys being with GenR8; "It's a lot of fun, and is so well received by the children. I love the opportunity to be crazy!"

Gavin Howard

Cambridge

Gavin has worked with children for nearly twenty years, firstly as a volunteer children's worker in camps in the U.S.A. and Britain and latterly as a class teacher for years 3 and 4.  He is taking a break from teaching and loves having the opportunity to share the Gospel with many who might not otherwise hear it.  He lives in Cambridge with his wife Lu, two children and dog Charlie.   

Jan Newton

Linton

Jan has seen what teams do from the "other side" as she is a Supply Teacher. Having seen the enjoyment and excitement of children (and staff) when GenR8 appear, the opportunity to get involved was too good to miss! Jan is married to Mark and they have two children, Rachael and Michael, both currently at university. When not teaching, she enjoys cooking and gardening and various types of music.

Kathryn Gee

Royston

Kathryn has been involved in children's ministry at Melbourn Baptist Church for over ten years. She has recently returned to GenR8 after several years' absence. She has an extensive supply of props and dressing up clothes, courtesy of her children and particularly enjoys being part of the fantastic GenR8 team. Kathryn is married to Simon and has two children.

Carol Sims

Melbourn

Carol first saw GenR8 in Fowlmere at Easter 2005 and felt it was something she could get involved in as she had been helping in similar work in schools in Namibia in 2002, this was part of an international mission to teach young people about the dangers of HIV/AIDS. Carol thinks helping to teach the Bible to young children is very rewarding as otherwise who will tell them what God has to say to them? Carol is also involved in an International AIDS charity and other aspects of outreach at Melbourn Baptist Church.  Carol is married to Chas and has three grown up children. 

Lawrence Powell

Linton

Trevor Rowe

Willingham

Olivia Coles

Burwell

Olivia joined the team at the end of 2006 and is another one of GenR8’s very busy people! In fact Olivia is so busy she hasn’t had time to write a piece about herself for me to edit! But we do know Olivia is talented, funny and a strong team member who can be relied upon when she pulls on the blue shirt of GenR8!

Nicola Grieves

Brampton

Gillian Overitt

Sawston

Gillian lives in Sawston with her husband Andy. She has three grown-up children and one grandson. Gillian enjoys writing for children ( yet to be published !) As a new member of the GenR8 team, she is excited to be involved in taking the Christian message to children in such a fun way.

Previous Team Members

We would like to thank all past members who have given their time, talents and energies to make GenR8 the sucess it has become.