Our colleagues are passionate about making a difference in their communities, devoting hundreds of hours of volunteering time to causes close to their hearts.
Mark Parris joined Maximus in 2018, and is now an Operations Manager on the Work and Health Programme – one of our employability programmes that delivers tailored support to people facing barriers to work.
Mark explained: “I’ve been working in employment support for over a decade, and am proud of the work we do at Maximus to support people in my community. But I have always been interested in the Fire Service, and when an opportunity arose to become a retained, on-call firefighter seven years ago, this gave me the chance to support people where I live and work in a new way.”
In recognition of his work for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire Rescue Service, Mark was awarded The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee medal last year.
In addition, he received a Chief Fire Officer’s commendation for his work at the scene of a complex incident, extricating a young woman from a road accident in 2021 – where his extended efforts to free the woman prevented life-changing injuries.
“Receiving both the Platinum Jubilee medal, together with the Chief Fire Officer’s commendation in the same year, is something I’m uniquely proud of.”
Mark continues to make a positive difference within the local community, supporting people through his roles within Maximus and the Fire Service.
He reflected: “My main motivation is supporting people in the area where I live and work, and there is often a crossover between the two roles, particularly in cases where people are vulnerable in terms of their mental health.
“It means a lot that I can be there to help people in my community, whether that’s supporting people to get back into employment, or helping people in more immediate difficulty. It’s all about improving people’s lives.”
