Who are we?

The Bridge Project exists to ‘Invest in young people so they feel valued and accepted, empower young people to live up to their potential and inspire young people to dream!’
We are a Christian charity based in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire and we work in Tadcaster and the surrounding villages.

What do we do?

We do this through providing a wide variety of children’s, youth and family activities including work in the local secondary school and two primary schools. We run a twice weekly youth drop-in and weekly primary aged club, parent and toddler groups, summer holiday club and various trips through out the year.

Our Staff

Fiona Dowson

Fiona is the new full-time development worker for the Bridge Project. Before joining the project Fiona worked in schools, teaching Music and Drama and more lately as a School Chaplain.
Fiona is passionate about seeing young people pastored and discipled and about meeting the needs of young people in the community in the area of self esteem. Originally from Zimbabwe, Fiona is married and has two adult children.

Andy Pocock

Andy is the new full-time youth worker for the Bridge Project. He has been a volunteer youth worker for the past 4 years at his home church. He runs the kids club at the Bridge Project with the help of other members of our staff.

In his spare time he plays drums in a band, he wrestles, enjoys playing table top games and video games along side doing origami.

Sharon Masterman

Sharon Masterman is a part-time Youth Worker and has been employed by the Project since May 2014. Sharon works for the Salvation Army as the community worker.

Sharon has a heart for young women and children. She runs Mum’s Talk on a Friday and helps out at Drop-in and Kids’ Quest.

Abda Bashir

Abda Bashir is a Senior Youth Worker, currently working for North Yorkshire Youth in partnership with the Bridge Project. I have been a Youth Worker for over 10 years, starting in Doncaster and the last 7 years in North Yorkshire.

Abda works full time for the North Yorkshire County Council as a Family Outreach Worker, and on a Tuesday Evening at The Bridge.

Abda is originally from Doncaster, and has no children but does have a niece and a nephew.

Francis Madden

Francis is a new part-time voluntary youth worker for the Bridge Project. However, he has, over the years helped out at various youth clubs and holiday weeks in and around Tadcaster.

He has also done some work overseas with children while working along side Crosslinks and GamFes. This involved teaching English to the local children of Gambia, West Africa.

More recently he has done some seasonal work for The Bushcraft Company whose aim is to give kids from inner city schools a ‘real outdoor adventure’.

In his free time Francis likes to engage in outdoor and country activities as well as travel and play card games.

The Trustees

MRS PRISCILLA SMITH (CHAIR OF THE TRUSTEES). EX. SCHOOL WORKER WHO IS A HOME ADMINISTRATOR WITH 4 CHILDREN WHO ATTEND THE VARIOUS CLUBS, ACTIVITIES AND HOLIDAY CLUBS.
MRS RACHEL BRAMMAR (TREASURER).
MRS. HELEN SHARPLES. (SECRETARY).
MR JONATHAN BECKERLEGGE
MR JOHNNIE DICKINSON
DR MARK DENYER
MR JAMES SIMISTER
MR STEPHEN DUNN

The trustees meet approximately six times a year and their role is in planning, governing and supporting the work of the Bridge Project. The staff workers attend the trustees meetings, with each worker linked to a trustee who will act as line manager, meeting with him/her regularly for support and encouragement, and carrying out job reviews and appraisals.

Trustees also visit the office from time to time or drop in on the evening events that have been organised, taking an active interest in the continuing development of the work of The Bridge Project Tadcaster.