A GREAT Sankey man has won an award for setting up a support group for dyslexic NHS staff in the north west.

Barrie Morgan received an Innovation Champion Award for Supporting Staff at the North West Adult Learners Week Awards for Health and Care.

The Sankey resident set up a ‘highly-successful’ dyslexia for NHS staff in the north west after expanding a project he set up at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals four years ago.

He said: “When people come to the support group meetings you can see the lightbulb moment when they speak to another dyslexic person and understand that another person does things in the same way they do, which is a real comfort and positive feeling.

“I am very passionate about dyslexia and want to help and support as many people as I can.

“This comes from knowing how it feels to be in a role or a work situation and without the correct support and understanding from colleagues and managers the feeling of frustration in not being able to perform at the best of your ability, knowing inside you know it is something you can do.”

Through the North West Dyslexia Network, Barrie has developed resources to support NHS staff with dyslexia, runs awareness days and has enlisted an army of specialist speakers for events.

He was nominated by Lancashire Teaching Hospitals training consultant Lynn Ireland.

She said: “While working with Barrie I recognised his capabilities in terms of engaging with others and I asked if he would consider being a dyslexia ambassador for the trust.

“This was the first time we had tried something like this – Barrie agreed and with very minimal support set up the Dyslexia Support Group.

“It was only a few months ago that I muted the idea of a regional network to Barrie and he has run with it and set it up in a very short space of time.

“I see Barrie as a very positive role model for the dyslexic workforce – not only at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals but across the wider NHS, particularly in the north west.”