Merrick hails from South Africa and still wonders how he ended up in Milton Keynes and even loving it. In South Africa, Merrick was very involved with Vineyard churches where he was worship leader at Metro Vineyard. It was at Metro that he was part of the leadership team that planted New Song Vineyard, Cape Town, and the annual New Song Festival.

No-one is exactly sure what Merrick does for a living but it has something to do with HR and IT and he calls himself a consultant. When he is not travelling on work trips you will find him commuting to London or enjoying the benefits of working from home.

Merrick describes his most redeeming quality as his wife and two daughters. Making them all laugh is his favourite pastime.

To ensure he leads a full life Merrick also plays bass for local cover band Candid Replica and cannot wait until his 2 girls are old enough to join him on the slopes in winter and water-skiing the rest of the year.