“Nationwide Platforms turned my life around”: access provider highlights importance of inclusion
This National Inclusion week (23rd – 29th September 2024) NWP celebrates Ben Morris, a Workshop Service Engineer who has overcome the odds to get his life back on track after an accident 3 years ago.
The 50 year old from Manchester had a successful career as a Garage Equipment Engineer, until an incident in 2021 left him unable to work.
Ben shares: “It was really bizarre; I was using my chainsaw one day and felt something in my back snap. I thought I just pulled a muscle or something but the next day I couldn’t feel my legs. I ended up in hospital for three months diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, which means there’s nothing physically wrong but for some reason my brain is blocking the signals my body sends.
“In a way I got lucky – I can still walk and have relearned to drive – but it was a really tough time for me. I lost my job because I couldn’t be on the road, and I got divorced so ended up moving back in with my parents. I applied for so many jobs and didn’t get a second look until I sent my CV to Nationwide Platforms.”
Ben joined the Warrington depot team in 2023 and has high praise for his colleagues.
“The work itself is great, I love the variety of machines we get to work on, but it’s the team around me that makes this place special. I’m pretty open about my injuries, but the team has never been weird about things like my catheter, and I only need to look at an extra heavy item before someone comes running over to help me. There’s a real sense of camaraderie here and we all look out for each other. The senior team has been amazing too; I still need hospital appointments every 12 weeks and they’ve made sure my hours are adjusted to make those. They even arranged for the harness manufacturer to measure me up to get specially fitted for a harness that wouldn’t interfere with my catheter. It’s so refreshing to work for a company that says health comes first, and actually means it.”
“Working here has renewed my sense of purpose in life. I’m so glad to be given this opportunity and plan to stay here as long as possible.”
Ben moving a boom lift at Nationwide Platforms' Warrington depot.
To anyone else in a similarly tough situation, Ben says, “Keep going. Waking up every morning is a chance for a fresh start, even if you can only deal with one day at a time right now.”
Charlie Stanley, HR Director at Nationwide Platforms, said “At Nationwide Platforms we are strong believers in putting health and safety first at every stage of our operation, but don’t believe in limiting people’s opportunities for that. We’re delighted to have Ben on the team; he’s an inspiration to many of us and a lesson in perseverance.”
Ben shares: “It was really bizarre; I was using my chainsaw one day and felt something in my back snap. I thought I just pulled a muscle or something but the next day I couldn’t feel my legs. I ended up in hospital for three months diagnosed with functional neurological disorder, which means there’s nothing physically wrong but for some reason my brain is blocking the signals my body sends.
“In a way I got lucky – I can still walk and have relearned to drive – but it was a really tough time for me. I lost my job because I couldn’t be on the road, and I got divorced so ended up moving back in with my parents. I applied for so many jobs and didn’t get a second look until I sent my CV to Nationwide Platforms.”
Ben joined the Warrington depot team in 2023 and has high praise for his colleagues.
“The work itself is great, I love the variety of machines we get to work on, but it’s the team around me that makes this place special. I’m pretty open about my injuries, but the team has never been weird about things like my catheter, and I only need to look at an extra heavy item before someone comes running over to help me. There’s a real sense of camaraderie here and we all look out for each other. The senior team has been amazing too; I still need hospital appointments every 12 weeks and they’ve made sure my hours are adjusted to make those. They even arranged for the harness manufacturer to measure me up to get specially fitted for a harness that wouldn’t interfere with my catheter. It’s so refreshing to work for a company that says health comes first, and actually means it.”
“Working here has renewed my sense of purpose in life. I’m so glad to be given this opportunity and plan to stay here as long as possible.”
Ben moving a boom lift at Nationwide Platforms' Warrington depot.To anyone else in a similarly tough situation, Ben says, “Keep going. Waking up every morning is a chance for a fresh start, even if you can only deal with one day at a time right now.”
Charlie Stanley, HR Director at Nationwide Platforms, said “At Nationwide Platforms we are strong believers in putting health and safety first at every stage of our operation, but don’t believe in limiting people’s opportunities for that. We’re delighted to have Ben on the team; he’s an inspiration to many of us and a lesson in perseverance.”