00:00:00 My name's Russ Handy, I'm the fire and security manager for Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust. Basically, I deal with fire and security problems throughout the PCT ensuring it's a safe and secure environment for our clients, patients and staff and service users.
00:00:22 Prior to leaving school in 1975 I'd done all the sciences. I was intending to go into the medical side, either a doctor or a dentist. It was a complete change because I'd decided I wanted to be a bricklayer when I left school. To be honest, I can't really remember where the doctor or dentist thing came about. It was just there, you know, when you look at careers. I went to work for a company called Second City Construction as an apprentice bricklayer.
00:00:48 And that lasted for about three and a half years. The company folded, the section that I worked in so I was made redundant. I stopped work on the Friday and I worked the following Monday for a sub-contractor but this was really a fill in job because I'd already applied to work for Wolverhampton Council. I went on in, I did this work as a general builder doing remodernisation work around areas of Bilston for about two months before I started at Wolverhampton Council.
00:01:21 I was surprised to be trained although it didn't actually work out that way. I was actually doing the role after about three, four weeks of an inspector but at a lower rate. This went on for about two years.
00:01:36 I'd been tinkering, really, of a weekend doing market trading, having a market stall, and basically I went that as a job full time. The market trading was interesting, you'd be all over the country at various events as well as local markets. Also I used to do motor cross meetings selling motor cross shirts and t-shirts. There was nothing more pleasing to see at the end of an event that every kid on the field was wearing your t-shirts basically.
00:02:07 It was quite fulfilling, that was. This went on for about three or four years. Suddenly the bottom, it didn't drop out of the market but it started to decline so I sold that business up and decided to get me tools out again. I'd got a trade as a bricklayer and I enjoyed doing that. I went back out basically on the tools as they called it. This went on till the winter of 1986/beginning of '87 when the winter was quite severe.
00:02:37 Work was drying up a little bit and I came to the health service for a job which basically brings me to where I am today. I enjoy doing it. I enjoy doing the job that I'm doing now. From fire risk assessment out to training people, 50 people out you're talking to about fire. All security matters and you can make a difference as well.
00:03:01 Through life you face personal challenges but that's every time you change your job, whether you change direction, where you work but you've got to go for it. If you feel it's right to do it yourself, you've got to do it for yourself and as I said, there's nothing you can't achieve if you don't put your mind to it. Things that motivate me are family, being able to provide for them and to get away at the weekend. I regularly go away with my family and to do that you need to be earning money.
00:03:33 ENDS
Russ Handy
Russ Handy
My name's Russ Handy, I'm the fire and security manager for Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust. Basically, I deal with fire and security problems throughout the PCT ensuring it's a safe and secure environment for our clients, patients and staff and service users.
Prior to leaving school in 1975 I'd done all the sciences. I was intending to go into the medical side, either a doctor or a dentist. It was a complete change because I'd decided I wanted to be a bricklayer when I left school. To be honest, I can't really remember where the doctor or dentist thing came about. It was just there, you know, when you look at careers. I went to work for a company called Second City Construction as an apprentice bricklayer.
And that lasted for about three and a half years. The company folded, the section that I worked in so I was made redundant. I stopped work on the Friday and I worked the following Monday for a sub-contractor but this was really a fill in job because I'd already applied to work for Wolverhampton Council. I went on in, I did this work as a general builder doing remodernisation work around areas of Bilston for about two months before I started at Wolverhampton Council.
I was surprised to be trained although it didn't actually work out that way. I was actually doing the role after about three, four weeks of an inspector but at a lower rate. This went on for about two years.
I'd been tinkering, really, of a weekend doing market trading, having a market stall, and basically I went that as a job full time. The market trading was interesting, you'd be all over the country at various events as well as local markets. Also I used to do motor cross meetings selling motor cross shirts and t-shirts. There was nothing more pleasing to see at the end of an event that every kid on the field was wearing your t-shirts basically.
It was quite fulfilling, that was. This went on for about three or four years. Suddenly the bottom, it didn't drop out of the market but it started to decline so I sold that business up and decided to get me tools out again. I'd got a trade as a bricklayer and I enjoyed doing that. I went back out basically on the tools as they called it. This went on till the winter of 1986/beginning of '87 when the winter was quite severe.
Work was drying up a little bit and I came to the health service for a job which basically brings me to where I am today. I enjoy doing it. I enjoy doing the job that I'm doing now. From fire risk assessment out to training people, 50 people out you're talking to about fire. All security matters and you can make a difference as well.
Through life you face personal challenges but that's every time you change your job, whether you change direction, where you work but you've got to go for it. If you feel it's right to do it yourself, you've got to do it for yourself and as I said, there's nothing you can't achieve if you don't put your mind to it. Things that motivate me are family, being able to provide for them and to get away at the weekend. I regularly go away with my family and to do that you need to be earning money.
ENDS
Russ Handy works as a Fire and Security Manager at Wolverhampton Primary Care Trust. During his working life he has also had periods as brick layer, market trader and experienced redundancy, and has skillfully navigated through these career changes.
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