Danny is a Security Solution Architect working remotely from North Wales.
While his career passions are in Tech, outside of work he spends his time volunteering as a Special Sergeant to fulfil his desires to support his local communities. As part of the Employer Supported Policing (ESP) scheme, we’re proud to support Danny to volunteer with paid time off.
Hello, I’m Danny, and I work as a Security Solution Architect at Admiral. I live in North Wales, so I work remotely, but I try and come to Cardiff as much as I possibly can as it’s quite a nice trip out. I joined Admiral in February 2023, and it’s been a fantastic experience so far working alongside lovely, welcoming, and very supportive people.
I was drawn to Admiral as I saw how its values aligned with mine, especially the idea that people who like what they do, do it better, and their commitment to supporting the community. I also wanted to work somewhere that I felt I could make a difference, as in previous workplaces, I didn’t have that feeling, so when I learned more about the role, I knew this was the right place for me.
My passion has always been in computing, but I loved watching police TV programmes growing up, and I wanted to join the Police when I was younger, but ended up prioritising my tech career.
I’m lucky to have had a very successful career so far, but I came to a point where I wanted to give back to the community. I saw there was a need for more police personnel, so I applied to be Special Police Constable. I successfully passed the interviews, Welsh speaking exams (which was extremely hard as a Manchester man), the six-month training programme, health and fitness tests, and three written exams.
I attested in March 2022, and it felt like such a huge achievement. Pictured below is my attestation, when I received my warrant card, and had to swear the oath which gives me the same powers in law as a regular Police Officer, the only difference is I’m not paid at all for my time.
I’m now a Special Sergeant, based in Flintshire. On average, I complete around 100 hours a month volunteering with North Wales Police. When I’m on duty, I assist in responding to the same 999 calls that regular officers respond to, dealing with things like anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, thefts, and lots more. It’s a very rewarding role, being able to help victims of crimes, as well as keeping local communities safe.
The support I get from Admiral is really great. We’re part of the Employee Supported Policing scheme, which enables me to take five days of paid leave each year for my policing duties. Having a defined policy like this makes me feel truly encouraged to support my community in this way. We’re also encouraged to use our Impact Hours, which means swapping our working hours to volunteer at a charity or organisation close to our hearts. We get the equivalent of two full days to do this each year, so that’s just another initiative that helps me perform my policing duties.
Being able to continue my tech career while volunteering with the police has given me such fulfilment in my life. I’m able to expand on my knowledge and expertise in technology alongside supporting and protecting my local community in such a meaningful way. I’m really grateful that I have an employer that supports me to pursue both of my passions.
We’re so proud to support colleagues just like Danny who have a passion to help their local communities.
If you loved Danny’s story, read how Tom uses his cyber security expertise to inspire the next generation to consider a cyber career.
