Trust there when former cab driver needed friend

Feb 5 2008 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

THREE years ago, as Middlesbrough cabbie Abid Hussain was taking a rare break from the wheel to tend his garden, he was struck by what he thought was nothing more than an eye infection.

A few traumatic weeks later, however, and Mr Hussain was partially sighted in one eye and forced to give up his taxi driver’s licence, ending a 13-year career.

The 44-year-old Pakistani had been struck by a rare condition which rendered him unable to drive and out of work.

“It was all very sudden and when I went to the hospital I thought it was just an eye infection, but I didn’t realise at the time that they were looking for a brain tumour – the doctors eventually told me it was a very rare eye condition.

“I tried to drive when I got out of hospital, but didn’t feel confident. I was registered as partially sighted and I had to give up my driving badge. I was at a loss, I kept falling over and didn’t know what to do. I had taken a lot for granted before that.”

From working round the clock, Mr Hussain suddenly found himself with an abundance of time on his hands.

Enter the Ready to Start initiative – a joint venture by charity Leonard Cheshire and Barclays, aimed at encouraging and supporting disabled people looking to start businesses. The national initiative came to the North-East 12 months ago.

Having spent his enforced free time taking cookery courses, Mr Hussain began to think of setting up a catering business.

He admits he would never have got his mobile cuisine venture motoring without the Ready to Start initiative. “I enrolled on several cooking courses for a couple of years. I was never a brilliant cook, but I used to help my mum in the kitchen.

“Then there were a couple of friends who did catering for a wake and wanted me to cook some Asian food for their Asian guests. I got a lot of good feedback and they even asked me where my restaurant was.

“I realised there were no other mobile cuisine vendors selling Asian food in the region, so I did my research and contacted the Leonard Cheshire trust for funding, alongside other trusts, and eventually got the £4,500 I needed.”

See page two to read how a former Northern Rock employee is leading the way in his drive for better disabled access among businesses.