Mick works his magic in fresh fields
MICHAEL Ellis is known for good reason as Magic Mick to the people he works with – and it’s all about his attitude.
Less than six months ago he faced an uncertain future with not much chance of getting a job. That’s changed after landing a job with local company Plant- EM.
Mick was born with Ushers Syndrome which leads to hearing loss and progressive vision impairment. He also suffers from Arnold Chiari Malformation which can cause headaches, muscle weakness and paralysis.
The conditions meant he was unable to get a licence despite being a passionate “Ford fan”. It also made it difficult to get and keep a job.
“I had a traineeship as a groundsman while I was at school and I was employed for eight years but because of my disability I was unable to continue the job,” Mick said.
“I like working at PlantEM because I get to learn new things like irrigation, mowing, planting – a bit of everything.
“I like working with Ruth ( team leader) she’s always making jokes and the boss is a pretty good bloke too,” Mick said.
Plant- EM director William Crabb said his team worked under the motto of “Changing Lives with Gardens” and helping Mick realise a career in landscaping was one way they were able to achieve that.
“When Mick came to us he was the type of person who would say: ‘ I can’t do that’ probably because he had been told he couldn’t for so long that he actually started to believe it,” he said.
“But we would say ‘ yes, you can – and we will show you how’.
“In just a few months he’s gone from possessing a basic shovel skill to having the ability to assist with planting, irrigation and maintenance tasks unsupervised and being a respected member of our crew.”
Mr Crabb said the “massive boost” to Mick’s confidence had been the most noticeable and rewarding part of having him at the business.
“He’s now ready to take on any challenge we throw at him,” he said.
Plant- EM worked in partnership with Mylestones Employment, which supports people with barriers to find a job that’s right for them.