Last updated 19:42, Thursday, 08 May 2008

A COCKERMOUTH church leader and youth worker is saying ‘au revoir’ to start a new life in France.

Jonathan Hayward, of Horseman Street, has been working with King’s Church since 1995 and helped to set up Reef cafe for youths in 2001.

He will be moving to southern France in August with his French-born wife Veronique and daughters Joy, 10, and Abigail, nine, to continue his church work.

Jonathan, 41, moved from Manchester to Cockermouth with Veronique, a supply teacher at Cockermouth School, to work with the community.

He said: “We came because King’s Church was looking for someone to take over the leadership of the church.

“It was in a period of transition. Since then I have been involved in overseeing the development of the Christian community.

“When I moved up there were only 95 adults and 30 children coming to the church. Now we have about 200 people coming on a Sunday.”

He has been a popular member of the Cockermouth community and has been involved in all sorts of projects.

He has been on the Marvejols twinning committee for 12 years and has visited the French town five times.

His band, Any Other Business, has been regular closing act for the town’s annual Christmas lights switch-on.

He has been a member of the Allerdale Community Fund committee which decides how much money is given to groups and projects in the borough. He was also involved in Cockermouth Carnival and the Georgian Fair.

He added: “I try to be involved as much as I can.”

He is known for his youth work at the Reef Cafe, which he helped to set up in 2001.

With the help of Allan Rossi they started the Reef football club, Reef dance group, guitar seminars and the WOW funday.

But this summer his family will be emigrating to his wife’s home town of Nimes, where he will continue working with the local churches.

He said: “I am moving because for the last 10 years I have been working with a group of church leaders and encouraging the development of churches like ours in France.

“I will be serving the Nimes area and looking at developing other churches with our kind of style.”

Jonathan said: “I will miss the Cockermouth area. I have been happy here but we will keep our links with the church and will be visiting often.”