Vote 100

Her caring and supportive nature are reasons enough why Orpington postwoman and workplace coach, Rachel Barnett, has been nominated for our Vote 100 campaign.

Orpington delivery line manager, Graham Ponton, said: ‘In the last 12 months, Rachel has undergone an evasive triple heart bypass operation. Through her determination to get back to full fitness, she’s been a true inspiration to others in the office, who have also had recent cardiac problems.

‘An avid hockey player, Rachel is already playing again, while at the same time, completing all her daily tasks and yet still finding the time to help others whenever she can. Rachel delivers one of our heaviest deliveries in the office and her performance with her delivery partner is impeccable. She also takes part in organising social events with colleagues and we all appreciate just how supportive and caring she is – she’s loved by everyone in the office.’

‘I joined Royal Mail in November 2002,’ said Rachel. ‘Entering a mainly male environment where there were only a handful of women working was a little daunting to start, but everyone was really friendly to me and helped me out when needed. This helped me settle into the team very smoothly.

‘After a little over 12 months I was approached by my manager at the time to train up a recruit as she felt I would be perfect for the job. It made me really happy that my manager had confidence in me and that I could pass my experience onto unproven recruits to help them complete their duties more efficiently.

‘Since then I’ve become a workplace coach and trained many colleagues. I certainly don’t claim to know everything in our office, but it makes me happy that people feel comfortable approaching me to check whether what they’re doing is correct. If I don’t have that knowledge I will always try to find someone who does.

‘Throughout my time at Royal Mail I have found the support I’ve received from the managers, friends and colleagues I work with to be unquestionable. I was diagnosed with a rare medical condition that has compromised my health a little. And when I was diagnosed with coronary heart disease, everyone was really supportive, especially, when I told them that I would be having a triple evasive heart bypass.

‘It’s been a year and three months since my operation and the support from everyone in the office is still there. As I’m still quite young this has really helped with my recovery onto full-time deliveries. I love working here. I’ve made such a diverse circle of friends over the years and a few of us go out most Saturday nights to eat, or go bowling, clubbing or even for karaoke!

‘The best part of my working week is the outdoor element, meeting customers and making sure they get their mail and packets on time. It gives me great satisfaction when a customer is happy to see me.’