Campus Community: Chris Potter
The concept of the workplace is constantly evolving. At York Biotech Campus, we’re more than bricks and mortar, more than a series of science blocks and laboratories. We’re a community, working alongside each other, collaborating and supporting each other.
We have a bustling community on campus, from our occupiers to our operational team and everyone in between. Some members of our community play more than one role in our eco-system, contributing both their professional skills and their personal skills, which stem from interests outside of work.
One such person is Chris Potter, Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) Engineer from Arcus FM, our facilities management team that keep our campus running smoothly. Passionate about fitness, a qualified personal trainer (PT) and affiliated instructor for the British Combat Association, Chris also helps keep our community fit through mixed martial arts (MMA classes). Find out more…
Can you give us a little bit more detail about your roles?
“My typical day as an M&E Engineer is spent responding to M&E queries from across the campus. Some days can be busy, but I always work with my colleagues from Arcus to resolve any queries and make any repairs as swiftly as we can, to the highest possible standard. Then, once a week I also teach MMA classes at YBC’s fitness centre!”
Tell us about how you started working at YBC?
“A friend of mine who worked here said there was a Tech 2 job going, where you assist the lead engineer, which I thought sounded great given my background as a labourer. I interviewed then was offered the role the next day. Over time I was offered various training courses, and I’ve worked my way up to being one of the lead engineers. I’ve been working at YBC for 13 years now!”
Can you tell us a bit about how you got into teaching MMA?
“I started doing karate when I was 13 and absolutely loved it. I took a few years out, but I fell back in love with it when I started going to kickboxing classes with my son. It’s a fantastic stress reliever. After a while I decided to get my qualifications to become a PT and MMA trainer. Now, I train people all over York, Leeds and Selby.
“I’ve actually been teaching MMA classes at YBC for seven years now. Someone asked me about kickboxing and said they were interested in learning. I did it as a one-off, but it was so popular I carried on doing it. Fast forward to today and I teach MMA at YBC one day a week. Classes usually take place on Thursday at 5pm for an hour, but sometimes the day of the week changes around my shift patterns. Everyone who attends the classes is part of a WhatsApp group, so I let everyone know well in advance about any changes.”
Who can come to your classes?
“Anyone who has a membership for the fitness centre at YBC can come to my MMA classes for free! We have people who have been coming to my classes for years, to complete beginners. I always engage with my students and tailor the sessions to what they’d like to get out of it. I also offer PT sessions, an hour costs gym members £20, and non-gym members £25.”
What’s your favourite thing about YBC?
“The campus is so big, which means there’s so much diversity to it. No day is the same and everyone is so friendly. The work isn’t repetitive, so it always keeps you on your toes. I also have a really good relationship with the occupiers as I’ve been here such a long time.”
What’s your biggest achievement?
“I used to kickbox competitively and I’ve competed in the British and European Martial Arts Championships, winning a silver medal in the latter! That was the biggest achievement for sure, but I think my professional progression is definitely a huge achievement as well. I started off as a labourer and today I’ve got all my NVQs, and I’ve trained my way up to lead engineer.”
What’s something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
“The only thing most people don’t know about me, is that I have an identical twin. People are always getting us confused around York. I usually just pretend to be my brother, as people don’t always believe us!”
What one word would you choose to sum up YBC?
“Exciting! It’s one of those places where I can come to work and never know what the day will bring. Having such a mix of different jobs and challenges on a site with so many interesting organisations means there’s such a range from day-to-day.”
If you’d like to contact Chris for a PT session or MMA class, get in touch via his Instagram or Facebook.