Speaker Andy Kent; Managing Director of Andy’s Kars, Bar Hill - Ability in the workplace

Details of Andy's Kars

Andy is 53 years old and left school at the age of 14 only able to read and write up to four letter words.

I have spent most of my life in and out of hospitals because of a blood disorder.

At the age of 10 I was told I had arthritis in my legs.

At the age of 18 I was told I had about 2 years to live so I got married.

At the age of 24 I had an almost fatal brain haemorrhage, leaving me right side weak.

During this time I qualified as a Motor Mechanic as I was good with my hands, however, because of the above I started to find it hard to do the job I loved.

I also had two children by now which I had to support, but employers were not supportive and I found I was changing jobs very quickly.

In 1993 we moved to Chatteris from Watford to try and get a slower pace of life and because by this time I had three haemorrhages and was struggling with life.

I managed to get a job managing a small garage for a another in 1996, which was so successful they sold the business, and once again I was told I was surplus to their requirements. This was in 2002. So I decided to set up my own garage with a difference, to employ disabled and disadvantaged people.

This I did and have not looked back.

I now run an award winning company that trains and employs disabled and disadvantaged people to make it work.

We have also set up a charity to help the young people we train to further their career once they are ready to move on to the outside world, by helping employers to understand the person and their abilities, and to retrain the person to fit in with the business they have moved on to.

We have also set up a charity to help the young people we train to further their career once they are ready to move on to the outside world, by helping employers to understand the person and their abilities, and to retrain the person to fit in with the business they have moved on to.