James Connolly (Operations Manager)

After spending my early years training to become a youth worker and finding out after 2 years that I could not afford to live on my very low salary I decided a career change was needed.

Not to sure now how it happened but ended up in retail management working for Granada for near on 14 years progressing to Director of Operations, South East England.

After Granada I took some quality time off and travelled around Europe and then the Far East and on to Australia and New Zealand. To say I love travel would be an understatement.

My travels behind me, I ended up working for my local authority as a Credit Control Manager. Once again before I new it the years had flown by and I decided it was time for a change.

Hearing about Prospex through the work placement scheme setup by Maxine Johnson and myself I decided it was time to go back to what I wanted all those years previously and make a difference in my community again.

So here I am, and loving it…………………………….

james@prospex.org

Richard (Beef) Frankland (Youth Services Manager)

I am now forty one years old, married, with two beautiful daughters, and live in Morden, Surrey. I started my working life as a carpenter and joiner in Kent working as a tradesman and Site Manager for ten years.

I have worked as a Youth Worker, both volunteer and professional, for the last 25 years (13 years professionally). I then moved on to be the Youth Pastor of Morden Baptist church from 1994 until May 2005 where I worked within the church, the community and in local schools.

I have also led overseas trips where Young People work to help local people by using their skills, and have led social impact weekends in the UK. I have been involved in some way or another with Prospex since it started and now work for them four days a week heading up the Detached Work, Contact Work and Short Term Projects.

On my other weekday I can be found teaching music in a Morden Primary School, with an emphasis on percussion and samba. I can also be found leading youth weekends, retreat days, team building events, speaking engagements and running a web site offering resources for youth workers called spikyheaded

I have a passion to see Young People reach their full potential in whatever area that might be. I also have a passion for curries!

richard@prospex.org

Maxine Johnson (Prospex Works Coordinator)

“I am a mother with three wonderful children: Jodie aged 20, Alice 16, and Lizzie aged 9. As you can imagine that is a fulltime job in itself.

I am now in my second year at the YMCA George Williams College in East London, working towards my BA honours degree in Youth Work & Community Learning & Development. (Generously funded by the Rank Foundation) To say it is difficult would be an understatement but I love every minute of it. The hardest part is finding the time to write the assignments, but somehow I always manage to get there. (Only another 3 years to go!)

I have lived in the local area all my life and have seen many changes over the years, not all for the better. I am passionate about my community and the issues that surround it. One of the main reasons for joining Prospex was so that I could make a difference. So here I am.

I love dancing and people that make me laugh.”

maxine@prospex.org