When Tim Austin was hit by pneumonia in September 2024, he found himself re-evaluating his life. “I was very ill for nine weeks,” he says. “People from church came and prayed for me. I had time to think about life and work and priorities. As a family we had less money coming in but we were doing okay. As a former film-maker I had been looking for more money and the kudos of working for one of the big media organisations.

“One day my wife came home from a ladies prayer meeting and told me that instead of looking for jobs that pay more I should look for work in a Christian organisation.”

Growing up on a farm, and helping his dad with an electrical business, Tim has had a varied career – waiter, cleaner, tour guide, shop assistant, librarian, youth worker and laboratory manager. “In my 20s I spent a year training with London City Mission, and two years in Germany with Operation Mobilisation.”

Tim joined Blythswood in January 2025 as church engagement officer for Northern Ireland. “We have some wonderful supporting churches here but Blythswood is relatively unknown as a Christian organisation. When our children were small we would buy clothes in Blythswood’s shop and when they started school they were invited to make up a shoebox. It was later I began to learn more about the wider work and Blythswood’s commitment to changing lives for good and forever.

“It is wonderful to be able to pray with colleagues about our work. I’m encouraged by the commitment of volunteers who give their time, and by individuals who pray and give.”

Tim plans to visit projects in Kosovo and Albania in December and looks forward to engaging with churches in 2026, Blythswood’s 60th anniversary year. “I’d love to see more churches partner with us. And I hope that more people who come into our shops will encounter Jesus and find their way into local churches.”

You can contact Tim on 07442 398 460 or by email: tim.austin@blythswood.org.

Tim Austin: ‘We have some wonderful supporting churches here in Northern Ireland’.