Friday 2nd September 2022
Meet our team... 'the world's oldest office boy'
Geoff, 70, has been a familiar face around 175 Tower Bridge for two decades. We found out a how he came to work with us and why he’s stayed so long
The Mexico World Cup in 1970 and playing cricket had a part to play in shaping my early career path. I was doing my A-levels that year and got a bit distracted... I didn’t get the grades needed for university so had to find something else to do.
My brother had just gone into law and so I thought I’d give that a go. I looked at the job adverts for articled clerks. I found a position where I could train on the job as a solicitor.
By the time I was 23 I was a qualified solicitor. I spent five years in the role but never settled into it. In 1981 following a sequence of events that started with a visit to our church by a Scripture publishing ministry I was offered a job as office manager.
The organisation was Scripture Gift Mission or SGM (now known as Lifewords). The organisation was founded in 1888 by William Walters, a printer who wanted to make the Bible accessible to everyone. I left in 2002 but I’m currently a Trustee of the pension fund and another charity that has links with SGM.
I first came to 175 Tower Bridge Road in 2002 to take up the role of office manager with Latin Link, who were in the building at that time. We shared a floor with Pilgrims’ Friend Society.
Latin Link then moved into their own building in Reading in 2006, which was too far for me to commute. So I left in 2007 and for the next five years I worked as office manager for a friend who was a financial advisor. One day a friend called Sylvia Clovey, who was in the marketing team at Pilgrims’ Friend Society at the time, pinned up an advert for a PA role with the organisation at our church, Christ Church in Leyton.
I applied for the role and on the interview panel was a familiar face... I’d often chatted to HR Manager Phil Wainwright. In 2013 I was appointed Office Manager and PA to the Chief Executive, working for three consecutive holders of this post. In 2014 I also took on the role of Company Secretary.
I always looked forward to coming to work. Everyone was very friendly and I found it fulfilling to be doing something for the benefit of Christians.
We sometimes had Trustee meetings at the care homes. I was always impressed with how well they were run and how staff went out of their way to care for people. It’s so important to provide Christian places for older Christians to live.
I tried to retire in December 2017. Instead, I ended up moving to a part-time role in the HR team.
When lockdown came, my role changed again. I was one of the only people who still went into the office, opening post, sending out resources and watering the plants (when I remembered!).
Since then, I’ve still found plenty to keep me busy. One of my jobs is going through the huge archive of paperwork from all our old homes. It’s fascinating, but vast. It brings home the need to make things digital.
I’ve always enjoyed solving practical problems. In my job it has always been important to me that people find it easy to come to me for help. I’m glad to be useful.
In his spare time, Geoff likes to:
Take part in Parkrun: “My granddaughter Emily got me into it. She wanted to take part with her dad and older brother but needed to have someone to do it with as she was only seven at the time. When it came to it, she was more interested in picking flowers! She soon stopped but I’ve kept it up and have recently completed by 97th Parkrun."
Enjoy live sport: “My teams are Spurs for football and Saracens for rugby.”
Eat out: “The Bang Bang Oriental Foodhall in Colindale is one of my favourite places. I’ll escape there with my son when my wife hosts a houseful of children and adults for tea.”
Geoff’s favourite hymn: To God Be The Glory. “My wife Sue and I had this at our wedding”
Fun fact: Geoff once dressed up as Postman Pat for the Scripture Gift Mission children’s party. No wonder he’s been so good at handling our post!
Find out more about working for Pilgrims' Friend Society
Meet Payroll Assistant... Nasim
Nasim has been part of our HR team since 2018. She comes from an Iranian background and tells us how she came to meet Jesus and to work with us
Meet the volunteer... Gemma at Middlefields House
Gemma volunteers at Middlefields House, Chippenham. She explains why she has a heart for older people and loves visiting the home
Meet a manager... Tia Fox, Framland
Tia has recently joined us as Registered Care Manager at Framland, Wantage. She tells us about her background in nursing and care, including her role on the frontline in the early stages of the pandemic