Harvey Matthewson
Biography
Harvey is currently the aviation activity officer at the British Disabled Flying charity Aerobility, but his prospects did not always look that promising.
Born with cerebral palsy, caused by complications at birth, Harvey’s first primary school teacher said that he would be lucky to leave school, knowing how to write his own name. Contrary to that comment, Harvey was able to stay in mainstream education throughout his time in education, and left with respectable grades.
Harvey’s progression from education into work was also tricky, with many employers not able to see past his disability. In November 2016, Harvey eventually gained employment as a sales assistant at Marks & Spencer through the Marks & Starts programme, run by the Prince’s Trust in partnership with Marks and Spencer.
The role gave Harvey vital skills that could be transferred into other workplaces such as teamwork, customer service and confidence within the workplace. Over his time at Marks & Spencer Harvey achieved many awards for his customer service, and went on to win the ‘Marks & Starts Achiever Award’ for his charity work. Harvey also became a Prince’s Trust Young Ambassador, and spoke at numerous events about his story.
In January 2019, Harvey began a new role at Aerobility, as the charity’s aviation activity officer. Within his role Harvey is responsible for running the charity’s two youth programs, for young people with physical and learning disabilities. Harvey is also responsible for arranging ground activities and flying days for the charity’s clients, and engaging with disabled young people.
Outside of work, Harvey is a Private Pilot and gained his license in December 2019, through Aerobility. Having previously been a horse rider who competed in the Riding for the Disabled Association’s National Championship, Harvey is also a horse riding instructor for the Riding for the Disabled Association, a charity which teaches disabled people how to ride horses as a form of therapy.
Social Mobility highlights:
One of the biggest obstacles in the way of Harvey achieving upwards social mobility continues to be his disability. However, his prospects thus far have been greatly improved through the decision for Harvey to attend a mainstream school, and through his involvement with several different charities.
Through attending a purely mainstream school in primary education, and a mainstream school with a specialist unit attached in secondary education, Harvey was exposed to the same experiences as his abled bodied peers, and forced to reach the same standards. This taught Harvey many skills, and gave him the confidence which has enabled him to enjoy so many other opportunities.
Harvey’s involvement with charities has given him an environment where he can try several different roles, and styles of working. The charity sector has also proved a great place for Harvey to showcase and improve several different skills such as leadership, commitment and organisation which have in turn increased his employability. Furthermore, charities offer more diversity than most other workplaces, and have proved invaluable as a way for Harvey to expand his professional network.
Harvey’s social mobility story is still in its infancy, as an aspiring professional pilot Harvey will face many challenges before he achieves his goal. However, he hopes that the experience he has gained over the last 22 years will serve him well, as he continues his journey.
Previous roles in government
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Commissioner - Disability and Health