A Macclesfield student has found her vocation caring for others after placing her education plans on hold due to Coronavirus.

As many students receive online tuition whilst locked down in their halls of residence, 18-year-old Nimra Zubair has deferred starting her medical degree, choosing to become a support worker at Belong Macclesfield, instead.

Nimra's passion for caring for others was realised during work experience at the care village on Kennedy Avenue. Since turning 16 and re-joining the team as a volunteer, her weekly visits continued until March of this year, when Coronavirus restrictions paused visitors to the site. It was following A-Level success this summer when Nimra took the decision which would change her course of direction.

Nimra explains: "The plan was to go to university, but with everything going on, I thought, 'why not defer for now?' and then I found out about the support worker vacancy."

Though she didn't hold any care qualifications, Nimra's experience and work ethic made her the perfect candidate to train for 'The Care Certificate', as part of the role's induction programme, to certify her competency in the knowledge, skills and behaviours expected for the high standards of the position.

Nimra adds: "I didn't think I'd get the job without any qualifications, so, I was over-joyed when I got the call!".

Belong Macclesfield's newest recruit can now be found supporting older people and those with dementia, helping residents lead their lives as independently as possible by tending to their needs and even puzzling out their crosswords with them.

Just a few weeks into her new job, Nimra is pleased with her decision: "I always wanted a role where I could help people, be of use to the world and make a positive difference. I'm really happy to be based on the 'household' I volunteered on, too; I've missed the residents this past year, so to be reunited with them is a dream come true."

Caroline Ray, general manager at Belong Macclesfield, said: "We're thrilled to have Nimra back with us; she's a popular member of the team whose dedication and hard work are exemplary. We employ colleagues who share our values, even if they don't always have all the qualifications, we are able to provide extensive on-the-job training and support for our people to gain their qualifications."

Belong was re-accredited as a Gold Investor in People earlier this year, recording exceptional performancefor its leadership,colleaguesupport anddrivetocontinuouslyimprove.

The report noted that: "Quality and consistency of training and development is praised in glowing terms by employees: indeed, many see the quality and value of training as a benefit of working for Belong, and something which motivates them."