Meet The Team

Leighton Walker, Volunteer

Meet Leighton

Hi all! My name's Leighton and I'm 22. I come from St Augustine of Canterbury parish in Springfield. I graduated from university in 2010 with a degree in Literature and have since spent the last year working in a bank not knowing what I want to do with my degree, or my life.

When an announcement was made at church asking for catechists for this year's confirmation programme I saw it as a chance to build upon the experience in youth ministry that I had gained through my involvement with the chaplaincy at my school and sixth form, Saint John Payne in Chelmsford. As part of the confirmation programme we spent a weekend together at Walsingham House, a place I had visited through school and my own confirmation programme when I was 14. Despite having mixed memories of the place, any doubts I had were quickly washed away by the team who gave our young people a weekend to remember! I then had a moment in the chapel here, which, to cut a long story short, has eventually led me back to join the team in 2011-12. This is my first real experience with the BCYS - my first being the Papal Visit in 2010, when I had the honour of being one of hundreds of young people the Pope addressed outside Westminster Cathedral and later in Hyde Park - I have never felt more proud to be a Catholic!

So a bit about me. I like to think I'm a fairly normal guy but you can make your own assumptions later. I love watching DVD boxsets like Lost or 24, and the longer the better so I can really get to know the characters. I have a really mixed taste in music and couldn't function without my iPod as music makes me happy, especially when I'm driving on my own singing along at the top of my voice! Current favourites include Adele, Christina Perri and Mumford and Sons, though I really can listen to anything! I'd love to tell you about a sport I play, but I'm quite possibly the most uncoordinated person you'll ever meet so I'll move on.

Aside from learning to catch a ball this year, I really want to get on with one of my favourite hobbies - writing. I'm quite imaginative and love writing about people and situations. Though I've written bits and pieces over the years I really want to finish something, and I'm hoping my time at Walsingham House will inspire me to do so - I'd one day love to write for TV.

On this note I'll just sign off by saying that Walsingham House can be whatever you want it to be, so the more you put in, the more you'll get out of it, but most of all just enjoy yourself, and I look forward to welcoming you to Walsingham House in the coming year!

Leighton