I grew up in the proud, ex-mining town of Bolsover in arelatively barren corner of North-East Derbyshire, straddling the imaginaryborder between the Midlands and the north of England. It was a beautifulchildhood full of family outings, caravan holidays and crisp sandwiches. I wasn’tparticularly academic - at least not in a technical sense, but did enough toget through due to being creative and loud.

Battling a Championship Manager addiction for several years,I amassed enough GCSE’s and A-Levels to somehow get an offer to study Politicsat Portsmouth University – pretty much the furthest away I could get from home.It was, and will continue to be, the greatest move I ever made.

I had an exceptional time. I met my best friends, my nowwife and have stayed in Southsea ever since – surrounded by a close network offriends and beautiful memories.

Unfortunately at the end of my degree my brother passed awayafter a brief battle with cancer. It was, and will always continue to be, thehardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with and the pain reverberates around mymind, never really disappearing.

The downside to this, at least in professional sense, wasthat it knocked both my plans and confidence way out of kilter. My career plans:to take the journalism world by storm, were cut short. I instead embarked on acareer working initially with disadvantaged young people and then latterly as aCollege Tutor.

However, after taking a gap year in 2011 and travelling the world,I decided to once again put everything I had into gaining the career that I initiallyset out to attain. A couple of years later, after taking work experience andinternships during leave from my job as Tutor, I was offered my first positionon what I believe to be a long road to achieving lofty ambitions within theindustry.

I am now a busy Communications Officer for ChichesterCollege, an institution recently rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Creative and incredibly passionate I am determined to be asuccess both in my professional and personal life. I have just completed a 2200mile unsupported cycle through SE Asia to increase awareness of Mental Healthand plan to do much more to raise awareness of such an incredibly importantcause. I run a blog which discusses our events and mental health here: www.mindovermatter.wordpress.com

I have an obsession with music which sees me front TheDeadscene Revival, a local covers band as well as sound tracking almost everyaspect if my life! My other great loves in life (apart from my wife!) arewriting, travel, food, running, cycling, cooking and keeping myself in healthybody and mind.

I am a dreamer, an adventurer and always on the lookout fornew opportunities. Life has dealt a thoroughly mixed set of cards but it sureis exciting…