Lucy Brookes

This week we are catching up with Lucy Brookes, former Winstanley student from 2014 to 2016.

Lucy joined us from Lathom High School and went on to study at the University of Central Lancashire. Whilst a Winstanley student, Lucy studied Photography, Media, English Language and Creative Writing. On the topic of Creative Writing, Lucy shared high praise for her former tutor Fran who really encouraged and supported her both emotionally and academically. This a true testament to our ethos of excellence, which is demonstrated by all of our tutors who ensure students are supported to achieve their best.

Lucy went on to study English Language and Linguistics at UCLAN, where she gained lots of experience working in educational and clinical settings before graduating. Originally, Lucy had planned to pursue a career in Speech and Language Therapy, however she found the course wasn’t for her. Since, Lucy has begun working for the charitable organisation We Are With You as a drug and alcohol recovery worker, a career she finds incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. The charity provides support for people receiving treatment for substance misuse by looking at habitual and lifestyle changes, helping people to detox and providing opiate substitution therapy to stop the use of illegal drugs.

In the future, Lucy hopes to continue her career in the field of substance misuse. Although Lucy is working in a field different to her degree, she notes the high value of the transferrable skills gained at university. Lucy is an advocate for not knowing what you want to do long-term, and notes that changing your mind is okay! When asked what advice she would give to prospective Winstanley students, Lucy said:

‘Enjoy it, work hard - but have fun!’