Legs4Africa prosthetic technician 'honoured' to be female role model

Bex Yearworth is a trustee with Legs4Africa which transports prosthetic limbs to people in Africa

A prosthetic technician who has helped to change the lives of amputees in Africa said she is "honoured" to be a role model for a national exhibition.

Bex Yearworth, 32, is a trustee at Bristol charity Legs4Africa where she was integral to UK prosthetics being recycled to support thousands of amputees in sub-Saharan Africa.

The charity has helped more than 14,000 people to walk again.

The exhibition is being held in the National Science Museum, London.

It is dedicated to 11 to 16-year-olds, to encourage young people into the profession.

Ms Yearworth, who was born in Bristol, was one of only a few female technicians when she began her career in 2015.

She said it was "a big responsibility and an honour" to be selected for the exhibition which was "an amazing opportunity to inspire young people".

"There is a massive skills shortage in the industry so to be able to shine the spotlight on prosthetics and break down some stereotypes that still exist I hope we will be able to encourage more young people to see it as a future career opportunity."

Mr Williams said without the expertise of "Bex and the team, the charity would not have been able to make such a difference"

Ms Yearworth, who was working as a RADA-trained theatre technician in London's West End, "stumbled across" prosthetics after spending time being treated in hospital and rehabilitation units for a connective tissue disorder.

She said she was looking for a better work-life balance as theatre hours can be "unpredictable".

"Then I had a moment where I realised, 'Oh wow I can create this'.

"It's a perfect combination of making things and helping people."

"I really aggressively started applying for trainee positions and coming up to eight years later it has been all the things I hoped it would be at that time."

"Sometimes I don't really believe I do this... then I have an existential moment when someone has a walk on a leg I've made and... it's mind-blowing," she added.

Ms Yearworth was a RADA-trained theatre technician in the West End before being diagnosed with a connective tissue disorder

Ms Yearworth said she was "lucky" to have had employers who recognised the passion she had for volunteering with Legs4Africa.

Tom Williams, CEO of Legs4Africa, said "It is great to see [Bex's] work recognised. She is a real inspiration, and we are lucky to have her as part of our [specialist] team."

He said Ms Yearworth has helped make the recycling of prosthetics possible and her experience was "invaluable" in starting the dismantling program and training the centres across Africa.

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