Support Worker in Profile – Meet Peter

Hi Peter! Please introduce yourself, what makes you tick and what are your passions?

I really enjoy doing magic tricks, which I do for the tenants at each of the services I have worked at and they love it.  Years did a special show at No 4 Tadcaster, I’m not a professional but I do it part time and love to share it with others.

I’m an outgoing person and I love to interact with the tenants at work.

What do you enjoy out of work?

As I’ve already mentioned I love magic, I also love astronomy and the history of York.  When the Big York Dig was on Time Team I went down to have a look.  I was a member of York district metal detecting club for some time, I had some excellent finds including a silver Viking ring in 2002 which was covered in the York press and some Roman earrings that are now held in Hull museum.  Anything that’s over 300 years old had to be declared as treasure and go to a coroner.

What made you want to work for Wilberforce Trust?

Well I’ve been at the trust for 11 years now.  I’ve been in care for over 20 years, working at Tesco as a customer service manager before that.  I live in Tadcaster and saw an opening at the Trust online, I knew people who were working there already and was offered a position.  It’s a great place to work and I love working with other staff and the tenants, and I’m looking forward to the new Wilberforce House opening up.

What made you want to be a support worker?

I always wanted to go into care, I enjoy helping people, doing the courses and the sleep overs.  I’ve enjoyed it so much that I decided to make a career out of it.

What do you like most about your work?

I really like interacting with the tenants and doing things that make them happy.  Taking one of the tenants to the Yorkshire museum on a Friday has been a recent highlight, he’s wanted to go for a while now so I wanted to take him.  I love how we become like family to the tenants.  I’ve been on holidays with tenants before, tp Northumberland and to Holy Island, it’s lovely to enable the tenants to do what they want.  I love working for the Trust, they’ve been good to me over the years.  The management are good and it really showed over Covid how they supported the support workers and made us feel wanted and welcome.

Are you inspired?  Would you like to make a difference whilst you work?  If so consider becoming a support worker yourself, apply here.