About Primary Concern
Primary Concern is part of the ministry of the Church of the Martyrs, Leicester. Working with puppets, song, humour and bible stories, John's aim to give children in primary schools in Leicester and Leicestershire a really good time in assemblies and lessons.

John's puppets: Mr Scrappy, Crazy Crow, DingBat, Cool Camel, Burdock the Lion, Leonie the Lioness, Erik the Sheep, Amos the Donkey and Eve the Chimp, have become firm favourites with children and staff alike.

The regular visits mean relationships are established and the Bible is brought to children in a way which is memorable.

In The Beginning
John Fryer set up Primary concern in 1994 and it became part of the work of the Church of the martyrs, Leicester in 2001.

Following a phone call from a local church minister in 1992, John began to do some assemblies in primary schools. Here he met his puppet friend, Mr Scrappy, and they began to work together

Working as Primary Concern, they were joined in 1995 by Crazy Crow, and subsequently by Ding Bat, Cool Camel and Burdock (the Dandy Lion).

In 2001 John's work with CPAS finished and his church (Martyrs, Leicester) took the work of Primary Concern under its ministry, developed a management group and began the work of raising funding to increase John's hours.

John has 25 years experience in working with children and young people and is a trainer for children's worker with the Diocese of Leicester. He has also written many chidren songs (see details of his CD Jesus and Me) and has songs in  Spring Harvest Kids Praise. 

Visiting over 20 primary schools in and around LEICESTER and Leicestershire with his puppets (including Mr SCRAPPY) John has built a reputation for quality, fun and accessible, Bible-based assemblies and lessons.

Karen Berry joined Primary Concern in 2004 and began working in inner city primary schools with funding from the Church Urban Fund. In 2008 Karen decided that God was calling her to leave us and start a similar work in the West Midlands. John has taken over doing those schools at present.