High Peak cancer survivor desperate for job

Ben Hinchliffe is only 36 and survived Leukaemia when he was just four-years-old and most recently had bowel cancer four years ago.

Although now in remission Ben wants to end this chapter in his life and look forward.

He said: “I don’t really remember having Leukaemia that much but when I found out I had bowel cancer at 32 it really hit me hard and I couldn’t believe it was happening to me again.

“I spiralled down hill and my mental health went down just as my actual health did but now I want to draw a line under all this and move on with my life.”

Ben is a trained joiner but weeks before he was diagnosed he was made redundant and with his chemotherapy and stoma bag for his twisted bowel he was unable to work for along time.

Ben, who moved to Buxton in 2017 to be closer to his mum, said: “I want to be working now but I have such a big gap on my CV businesses don’t seem interested and I can’t even get an interview to explain the gaps.”

Since October 2017 Ben has been on the Zink Employability Programme which is run through the High Peak Foodbank and Ben has impressed staff so much he is now a shift supervisor at the foodbank and he will be going to college in September to do an apprenticeship in business administration.

The course requires students to be working 30 hours in the workplace with seven hours of teaching a week for one year.

Paul Bohan from the foodbank said: “Ben is a great guy who has been through a terrible time and we want someone to take a chance on him.

“We are not in a position to offer him the full hours he needs for his course but we want him to do well and go on to better things and we are sure there is a business out there he would be perfect for.”

Due to his health Ben is able to complete office-based work and Paul said he would be a great addition to any team or business.