At AKA Case Management, we believe every individual can find meaning, purpose and joy, often in unexpected ways. Peter, a client supported by our team, is a powerful example of resilience and creativity in action.
Based in Willenhall in the West Midlands, Peter has lived with the challenges of an acquired brain injury and deteriorating vision. Despite these considerable barriers, he continues to pursue his passions with energy, focus and remarkable talent. His outbuilding, which once housed hundreds of exotic insects and reptiles, is now being transformed into a model railway wonderland. It will be a space filled with intricately built models: cars, campervans, motorcycles, dolls’ houses, even a scale replica of the Titanic.
This transformation from collecting arachnids to constructing miniature engineering marvels is more than a change of hobby. It reflects Peter’s journey from a life restricted by physical and mental health challenges to one fuelled by passion and technical creativity. Each model he builds demands extraordinary patience and fine motor control. Tasks made even more complex by his peripheral vision loss and spinal issues. Yet Peter persists, sometimes spending months, or even years, on a single project.
Currently, Peter is designing a model railway with a Blackpool theme. Once complete, the triple-track system will include a working Blackpool Express, a computerised middle track with digital controls with a fairground theme, and a heritage line inspired by the locomotion of the early 1980s. Every detail is being carefully planned, including lighting, buildings and vintage-style trams. The outbuilding will eventually be open for others to visit, with display cabinets showcasing his many completed builds.
For Peter, model-making is more than a hobby. It is therapy. As his Assistant Case Manager Sarah Longshaw explains, ‘When Peter is building, everything else fades into the background. It helps him manage his mental health, giving him something positive and structured to focus on.’
Peter is also an active member of the online modelling community, sharing his builds on YouTube and connecting with fellow enthusiasts worldwide. He has created videos of his builds and the challenges he faces as someone living with a disability. These videos have become a way for him to raise awareness, share knowledge, and feel part of something bigger.
He receives weekly support from Erica, his support worker, who visits on Wednesdays to give Peter’s wife Marie respite, that’s her day to go out and do some shopping and spend time with friends. Marie provides most of his daily care and support, and Peter often speaks about how much he values her and Erica’s help.
In his own words, Peter’s passion for building started after his surgery, which resulted in his brain injury. ‘I had to start again,’ he says. ‘Model making gave me something to focus on. It brought structure to my days and something to look forward to.’
And look forward he does. His latest project? A fully remote-controlled Formula One car, complete with functional suspension and lights. He has even obtained insurance and flying rights for his radio-controlled drones and aircraft, which he sometimes takes out on quiet summer days.
Peter’s story reminds us all that even in the face of profound change, creativity can help rebuild a sense of identity, control and joy. His workshop is not just full of models, it is full of hope. We look forward to sharing photos of his model railway when it is complete. In the meantime, you can find Peter’s work and follow his builds on YouTube by clicking on this link – https://www.youtube.com/@peterwebster3076