Parish council members

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Paul Kerryson

I feel very privileged to have been chosen by you to chair our parish council. Thank you! We have a great opportunity before us to grow a thriving and welcoming community with Savio, St Gregory's church and school working together to enhance and develop the spiritual and practical well being of our much loved Salesian parish.
Just in case you don't know me yet- I have led the music for the parish for many years hopefully catering for our differing musical tastes –sometimes traditional, sometimes modern with guitars, flutes and violin and even controversial drums!
In the last ten years I have led a capital building project for a new theatre in Leicester directing many productions of plays and musicals and receiving an MBE for diverse theatre work in a diverse community. I am currently working at the Royal Welsh music college in Cardiff and as Executive Director of Buxton Opera House.
You might also see me in the village with Malachy the Irish terrier!

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Paul Leff

I have been a member of the Parish for 19 years. I have an academic background in theoretical pharmacology, and a professional career in pharmaceutical R&D. I have experience in senior industrial leadership roles, involving organisational transformation, performance improvement and change management. Away from work, I'm a keen musician, and have made contributions to a number of Parish events. I have served on the Social and Buildings & Maintenance subcommittees, and supported my wife Barbara in driving the Faith Development agenda. In my new role, I look forward to helping the Council lead continued development in the reach and impact of St Gregory's Church and Parish in the community.

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Liz Murphy

I was born in Bollington in 1954 and the St Gregory’s Community has always been a huge part of my life. I attended St Gregory’s primary schools (both old and new!) and for 18 years I have worked at the school in various capacities. Having served on the school PTA from 1988 until 1994 whist my daughter was a pupil there and I now find myself on their PTA again as Treasurer.
I am the Administrator/Treasurer of the Parish/Social Club 200 Club. In 1996 I was appointed Treasurer of the then “St Gregory’s Social Club”, a position which, over the years became Social Secretary, Bar Manager, and licence-holder!
I have lived in Bollington all my life. I worked at the Royal Bank of Scotland in Macclesfield for 24 years, and then at West Bollington Post Office until 2014. I am currently the Company Book-keeper at Hardings Yarns in Langley.

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Pat Cohen

My family arrived in Bollington as a result of the potato famine in Ireland in the late 1800s. I attended the old St Gregory’s School and Church. My daughter went to the New St Gregory’s school but with one of the same teachers, Mrs Noden, who had taught me. St Gregory’s has always played a large part in my life. My family was very involved in Fund Raising for the 'New Church'. My Father laid out the grounds under Fr Osborne's direction, and I spent most of the summer holidays of my fourteenth year planting up the lawn with little plants of ‘Emerald Velvet’ imported from Ireland. So I feel a great affinity with the 'New Church'. I worked for nineteen years as Church Secretary under Fr Bob Coupe and Fr Francis until my retirement a couple of years ago. St Gregory's has always meant a lot to me and I've always loved being part of it. I've mostly worked in Accounting and spent a large number of years as Payroll Manager over four divisions of Ciba Geigy in the U.K. working from H Q. in Macclesfield. I have one daughter, three Granddaughters and one Great granddaughter. I had a second marriage to a Dr of Astronomy who worked at Jodrell Bank but I am now a widow.

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Louise Handbury

I grew up in the parish and attended Mass at St Gregory’s with my family when I was a child. University and work took me away from the area but I moved back in the late 1990s, then finally settled here when I married David at St Gregory’s in 2007. I have held a variety of pharmaceutical industry-related roles and now work from home as a freelance project manager in medical communications and medical education. I volunteered in Little Church for a few years and led the First Communion programme for a group of children from the parish (including my son!) in 2017. I am very much looking forward to my new role on the parish council!

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Francesca Edwards

I have been part of St Gregory's parish since 2002, when I first moved to Bollington. I love being part of such a welcoming, friendly parish! I'm married to Gareth and we have 2 children: Emma is 11 and has just started at All Hallows, Luke is 8, he attends St Gregory's primary school, where I am a governor.
We usually attend the 10:30 Mass on Sunday, and I often come to Mass during the week.  I coordinate the team that teaches Little and Junior Church, I mostly teach Little Church, which I find very rewarding.
I work part time as a physiotherapist, I also volunteer as a breastfeeding counsellor for an international charity.
I am presently learning all about puppies- we have just acquired an adorable cavalier King Charles spaniel, Nero. 

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June Biggar

I was born in Pott Shrigley and attended St. Gregory's school, as did my children and four of my eleven grandchildren. I also worked there for a short time. I joined St. Gregory's choir when I was thirteen and, from then on, my whole life was St. Gregory's. We were fortunate in our teens to have a parish youth club, that lead on to cleaning the church and the hall (still doing both!), pantomimes and shows. The Catholic Women's League was formed and that engaged me with the Christmas fair and strawberry cream teas. I have a strong connection with the Salesians, having worked there for 10 years, before working for the NHS. I sang with Bollington Festival Choir for 43 years and served on the committee for both the choir and the Arts Centre. I've been married to John for 52 years. He has supported me in everything I do. So now, at the age of 73, I feel humbled to have been elected onto the parish council. Thank you!

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Sharon Nyasiri

I am originally from Kenya in East Africa. We moved to Bollington with my husband Nick in 2008 and have since been members of St Gregory's parish mostly attending the family mass with our children Shawna and Kieran.
Back in kenya I was a member of Don Bosco Shrine of Mary help of Christians since my childhood. I was actively involved in the youth group, choir and a lector.
"God incidentally" I have found myself in another Salesian family in Bollington together with Fr Tony who was my parish priest in Don Bosco.