BFAWU Learning Services Project Manager John Vickers retired at the end of March, after nine years at the helm of the union’s Union Learning Fund (ULF) project.

John’s wife Dawn, a BFAWU member herself for 40 years who joined the project in 2017, also retired at the same time.

Former Project Worker Lisa Greenfield has been appointed as the ULF project manager, a role she says she would never have considered without John’s backing.

Lisa said: “I would like to thank John for all his support and encouragement – without this I wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply for the position of project manager.”

The entire BFAWU Learning Services team grew in confidence knowing that John always had their backs, says Project Worker Carol Hillaby.

Carol said:

John was always just a phone call away if we needed anything and had an understanding ear if we had problems and because of this we learned to trust him.”

He was always open to discussing new ideas but if he thought they were not achievable he would explain why rather than dismissing them.”

Although she was part of the project team for a shorter time than her husband, Dawn will also be very much missed by her colleagues.

Carol added:

If we had problems, if we were feeling under the weather, Dawn always checked to see if we were okay: this wasn’t her role, it was her nature and she became the project ‘mummy’ and our dearest friend.”