Fraser, 53, from Thorpe St Andrew, served in the Royal Air Force for 10 years as an Avionics Engineer. He was six weeks away from realising his dream of being commissioned as a Navigator when he was injured in training, then broke his neck in a road accident. Fraser was medically discharged and enjoyed a long and varied civilian career. After going through redundancy in his 50s, The Poppy Factory helped him find a new role that better suits his work-life balance.
Fraser now works as a Property Valuer at Taverham-based Internet Surveys. He is also a Trustee of Equal Lives, an advocacy and support organisation in Norfolk that empowers people with disabilities to have their voices heard and live independent lives.
Fraser said:
“From the age of 11, I always wanted to be a pilot. I joined the RAF when I was 17 as a radar technician and I tried for seven and a half years to be put forward for a commission. Eventually my application was accepted and I got through selection at the first attempt. I was on course to become a navigator and hoped to fly in a Tornado fighter jet on completion of training.
“I was six weeks away from graduating when I started getting shin splints in training. Then one day when we were running up a hill, my hip gave way and I ended up on the floor with a telegraph pole on top of me.
“I had surgery on my leg and then shortly after I was given the all-clear to drive again, I was involved in an accident. I was driving with my wife when a pick-up truck pulled out in front of us and we clipped the corner. We both walked away but I had a lot of neck pain. At first the doctors thought I had whiplash, then an X-ray showed I had been walking round for six weeks with a broken neck.
“I had to have physiotherapy and I tried to get back to fitness but eventually, after 18 months, the RAF decided to give me a medical discharge. I was told I would never drive or work again but I was determined to prove them wrong.
“I got a job quickly at the Department of Work and Pensions. Then when we moved to Norfolk I worked for the police as a crime analyst. I went on to work at a hospital as a senior analyst, then I worked for 16 years with Norfolk Youth Offending Team as its Performance and Information Manager where I set up all their IT systems.
“I started having more problems with my neck and I suffered a prolapsing disk in my lower back. It meant I had difficulty walking between meetings – I was having to get in my car to travel small distances. After a long time considering it and talking to my GP, I decided to get a wheelchair.
“I decided to move to a different job and I worked in the private sector, first as a Logistics Operations Manager for Amazon and then as a Systems Manager for the Zertus Group. I was made redundant in December 2018 and I thought I would find another job easily enough, but it wasn’t as I expected. I was having to go for interviews in my wheelchair, and I noticed I was getting a negative response.
“I’d been unemployed for seven months and I wasn’t getting any offers. I was getting to the point of giving up and thinking I’d never work again. But I contacted The Poppy Factory and was put in touch with Keiron, my adviser. Initially he helped with my CV, then out of the blue he came to me with a job that he thought was right up my street.
“Keiron had realised something about me that I hadn’t even recognised myself. I’d been looking at jobs that were at a similar level to ones I’d had in the past. But I’m 53, and a lot of the physical flare-ups I’d been having were linked to stress and pressure. What I needed was to take a more back-seat approach with less responsibility.
“I got the job that Keiron suggested. I’m now a Property Valuer at Internet Surveys Limited, gathering data to put together a picture of a house that will help insurers reach a correct valuation.
“The job is perfect for me now. It’s a really good environment and it’s an easy 20 minute drive from my home along a straight road. I’m enjoying the work, they’re pleased with my progress and I’m starting to take on more complex cases. If I hadn’t contacted The Poppy Factory, I would never have had this opportunity.”
See also Military charities
