I’m Jack, I’m 28 from Clydebank. I work as a metal artist/sculptor who creates art from car parts, horseshoes and mild steel and I’m the business owner of Salvaged Metal Art.
When I was about eight years old I helped my uncle weld hinges onto an old gate post. Not thinking this would make an impact on my future I just concentrated working on and learning about cars for the next number of years, as this is what I wanted to do as a career. My experience at both primary and secondary school was not a positive experience as I was bullied throughout my time there due to my cerebral palsy. My cerebral palsy affects me on a daily basis as it restricts me on some things I would like to do by myself. I often suffer sore backs and stiffness due to my cerebral palsy.
My experience at college wasn’t positive either as I was bullied in college as well when I got into the mechanics course. During the year long course I was bullied on a daily basis. A month or so before the course was due to end two of the lecturers spoke to me to tell me that I couldn’t get onto the next level of the mechanics course. This is when I told them I could try welding. They told me this would be too hard for me as well, but they didn’t know that my uncle who has been a welder for 40+ years was willing to take his time to teach me no matter how long it would take.
That year my mum and dad bought me a small mig welder to learn with and this is where I started to get a passion for welding. My first welding project was a welding cart which I still have to this day, after a number of times practicing my welding I said to my uncle “how about combining car parts and welding to create unique pieces of art” and this is where my Prince’s Trust journey began.
In 2017 I read about a group called Street League who help people find jobs, so I joined and this is how I contacted the Prince’s Trust with my idea about setting up my business. I was given support and met new people which gave my confidence a massive boost which encouraged me to start my own business.
I continued with the Prince’s Trust which led me to me becoming a young ambassador in 2018 – that was the same year that I got involved with Improving Lives. When I attended the improving lives open day in 2018 I met the Clydesider. I have done a few pieces for their magazine in the past three years and this has also helped me with my confidence.
In 2019 I was awarded the Prince’s Trust Scotland’s Young Achiever of the Year for the work and progress that I had made. This was the highlight of my year as I got to meet my inspiration artist/blacksmith Kev Paxton who informed me that I had won the award.
During lockdown I continued to grow my business by gaining local customers and selling garden pieces such as firepits. I also got involved with Epilepsy Scotland, donating pieces for their online Christmas craft fair. Since then I’ve continued to support them by doing a sponsored 60k walk, over six weeks and a 5k during Christmas. I’ve done this since 2020 and it’s made me feel a lot better both physically and mentally.
Fast forward to 2022, I won the Prince’s Trust Young Achiever of the Year award at the Pride of Scotland Awards held in Edinburgh. I also done two collaborations with Kev Paxton, who continues to mentor me to this day. Both collaborations got auctioned off for the Prince’s Trust at their biggest fundraising event called ‘Lunch with an Old Bag’.
In 2023 I expanded my range of pieces which led to me supplying a company in South Queensferry called Craigies Farm Shop and Deli my horseshoe candleholders for their gift shop. I continue to supply these and they have now extended their range of my pieces.
This year I’m aiming to grow my business even more by getting my work into Arnold Clark dealerships (who are one of my suppliers). I also want to continue with my charity work and continue to break down barriers by creating new pieces of art to show people that cerebral palsy isn’t a disability, it’s just a different ability.
I am still involved with the Prince’s Trust and would not be in the position that I am in if I hadn’t got involved with them.
My personal reason for supporting Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is to make people aware that just because you have cerebral palsy this should not stand in your way of following your dreams and to never give up through tough times. I feel more needs to be done to tackle the bullying that people suffer on a daily basis for having a disability, it affects all aspects of your life.
I feel more needs to be taught about disabilities and more disabled role models should be speaking out.
This is what has led me to want to be a motivational speaker to encourage people to follow their dreams and knock down the barriers that I have faced.