“Learning opens your mind, challenging your own thoughts and opinions and leading to better outcomes.”
I work at Imperial’s Hammersmith Campus as a Community Safety and Support Officer and I will be celebrating 25 years at Imperial on 2 August 2024. My role is very varied and I have a wide range of duties overseeing the safety and security of people of both our people and our buildings. I work both day and night shifts, and there is much more to my role than simply monitoring CCTV in the Control Room – no two days are the same. I patrol the Hammersmith Campus, addressing security issues as unauthorised people or unattended bags.
In addition to security duties, I offer front line customer service to not only Imperial staff and students, but also to our visitors; this can be anything from helping with access issues, lost property, replacing lost ID cards or covering on reception. Health and safety is another key part of my role – not only do I look for building defects on the campus but I monitor a range of alarms for things like refuge points and changes in lab gases.
I have completed over 180 courses on LinkedIn Learning which have given me a wide range of skills that have not only helped me do my job, but also be of better service to the community. I have studied courses on decoding body language, confronting racism and fighting gender bias in the workplace. Learning opens your mind, challenging your own thoughts and opinions and leading to better outcomes. I like the short courses, they are just enough to keep you interested, and can inspire you to explore subjects further in more depth. I am grateful for the opportunity to develop my learning at Imperial, and it gives me even more motivation to deliver a great service to the community.
I want to continue challenging myself, keeping up with the latest developments so I can adapt to future changes. I feel proud to be part of a world class university and I want to continue doing my part.
Outside of work I am interested in history, philosophy and photography. I am a keen gardener and I enjoy long walks in nature, as well as being a good grandfather to my grandchildren.