Member Article

New job boost for Stacey after overcoming sudden loss of sight

A 25-year old from Coventry has overcome sudden sight loss four years ago to start full-time employment following support from a National Lottery funded project.

Stacey Percival was studying to become a nurse with Coventry University when she was struck down with a virus that took both her kidneys and nearly all of her vision in just ten frightening minutes. It left her seriously ill and unable to complete her degree.

It was only after a successful transplant with her aunty that she could look at putting her life back together, starting with looking for volunteering and work through Accelerate - a Coventry-based employment project.

“The last two years have been very frustrating as it just felt that door after door was closing on me, all due to the fact I only have partial vision,” explained Stacey, who is assisted by her guide dog Toffee.

“You can feel very lonely and it doesn’t take much for you to start losing your confidence, and this impairment has you quickly believing that there really isn’t that much you can still do. Receiving a phone call from Action for the Blind introducing me to the Accelerate project changed all that.”

She went on to add: “Little did I know that three months on from that phone call and I would be about to start a full-time job.”

The £3m Accelerate project, which is part of ‘Building Better Opportunities’ - a programme funded by the Big Lottery Fund and the European Social Fund, is looking to support nearly 900 of Coventry and Warwickshire’s most disadvantaged people to tackle the barriers preventing them from entering work.

It brings together 23 local partners to provide each participant with a single access point to confidence building, work experience and skills enhancement, including training on IT, Literacy, Numeracy and Enterprise.

Stacey was immediately assigned George Bradley as a Journey Guide to provide an initial assessment of her needs, her aspirations and where she would need additional support.

“I was optimistic that Accelerate could make a difference, but I couldn’t have dreamt the difference the programme was going to make in getting my life back on track,” added Stacey.

“George was like a mentor, guide, advisor and friend all rolled into one and she went over and above what she should have done to help give me my confidence back.

“There was lots of practical support too, such as writing my CV, helping with interview preparation and just acting as a sounding board if I had a question that was troubling me. It was an approach that worked as I’ve just accepted my first job since I lost my sight.”

Stacey, who has also been volunteering at a SureStart nursery, has now been employed by global outsource provider Sitel as a Customer Service Advisor at their Coventry Contact Centre.

Sean Higgs, HR Manager for Sitel, is delighted to have Stacey and her dog Toffee as part of the Team. “As a leading employer in the Midlands, this is a great career opportunity for Stacey to grasp and make the most of it.”

George Bradley was delighted with the news: “I’m not surprised, as Stacey is a very intelligent young lady with an infectious personality that is ideal for a customer service role. I have no doubt she’ll be a real asset to Sitel and we will continue to support her whilst she settles in.

“The beauty of Accelerate is that we offer the individual a single access point to more than 20 different specialists so that all the advice and guidance is tailored to what the person needs. There’s no more being sent from one organisation to another…we get to the bottom of what you need and then find the right expert to deliver it.”

Stacey concluded: “There’s no words to describe the difference George has made, I can’t thank her enough.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .