Derek Edwards...
Derek Edwards left secondary education with no qualifications, having struggled with reading writing and maths. He trained as a carpenter and joiner but in 1989 Derek had a major road accident which rendered him unable to work for a long time..

In September 2005, having been housebound for a year, suffering with depression Derek decided to join a carpentry workshop at his local WEA, just to 'get out of the house'. The workshop provided the opportunity to get involved in a working environment and return to a daily routine. Alongside the carpentry skills were personal development skills with literacy and numeracy embedded.

Derek's nominator, Elaine Topping says that 'Derek found the set-up immensely supportive and began to volunteer his own skills to support others, whilst benefiting from the personal development aspect.

The unit has since moved and Derek still attends, volunteering three days a week. Even though he permanently suffers with recent memory loss his confidence has grown immeasurably. He has become a valuable member of the WEA and is the regional leader of the British Woodcarvers in South Wales.'

Derek says 'I really enjoyed coming to the WEA classes, meeting all sorts of different people and sharing experiences. The carpentry workshop has got me out and got me doing stuff again. It's really great to be able to use my experiences to help others that might be having their own problems as well as share my skills.

You can watch Derek's video here >>

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