Learning new skills restores sense of self

Blesma Member Gavin Brechany has launched a YouTube channel to teach and inspire others how to restore a range of items.

“I served in the Royal Navy for 12 years before joining Hampshire Constabulary in 2005, but I sustained an injury on duty in 2016 that led to the amputation of my left leg,” said Gavin.

“I decided to use the skills I’d gained in the Navy to do some restoration jobs. You can have an identity crisis when you lose a career, so it was a chance to reinvent myself.”

Gavin has already restored a number of bicycles and developed new skills, and his goal is to evolve his venture – Survivor Engineering – into a skill sharing platform.

“There’s a real cathartic process to taking something that’s old and making it shiny and relevant again. The YouTube channel was done for therapeutic and educational purposes, but friends who have seen the videos have asked me for advice on starting their own projects.”