Peter Bradley

Becoming a dad was the catalyst for me to change my career. I didn’t realise at the time how much going to Edge Hill would change my outlook on life, too. Before coming here, I had a successful career in the healthcare industry as a National Quality Manager. When my daughter was born, it became more and more difficult for me to cope with the emotional side of the job, so I decided I needed a change.

I’d always wanted to work with children. I originally applied for a teaching course. Unfortunately, without classroom experience I didn’t secure a place. That turned out to be the luckiest outcome, as it opened my eyes to a range of other degrees that offered more scope and opportunities for future careers. I’ve never been so pleased not to get something.

My dream job is to support young people who might not have the opportunities or encouragement to develop. In my first placement, I worked in a pupil referral unit with children who are educated outside of the mainstream. That experience helped me realise I wanted to work with youth offenders, or those on the cusp of offending, to try and help them turn their lives around before it’s too late.

Sadly, I lost a close friend to a knife attack recently, and this made me even more determined to go down this route. I’ve been working alongside Knifesavers, a Merseyside campaign to raise awareness of what to do in the event of a stabbing. And through staff and colleagues at Edge Hill, I’ve made contacts within Cheshire Police to try and get funding for roles to address this issue across the region.

At 37, I never thought I’d ever go to university. But the people here helped me settle in and make the most of every opportunity. The world is massive and there’s lots to discover, but since joining Edge Hill, I’ve realised there’s just as much to discover about yourself.