About Blue Light Leavers

I'm Andy Labrum, the founder of Blue Light Leavers

I appreciate you checking me out and that you want to find out a bit more about me, my life in and outside the job, and how I help people, no different to you, create an amazing life after leaving the force, whatever your length of service, through Blue Light Leavers and the free guides, free podcast, services, partnerships and business opportunities we offer, all to give you the help I never had.

Having struggled to come to terms with leaving, having known nothing else, and having had a successful post-policing career and helped many others do the same, I'm here to help, educate, inspire and support officers and staff that want something more out of their lives, that feel something is missing, who want to create a life of balance, improve their mental health and are just not sure how to do that when leaving the force. I hope that my story will inspire you that change is possible when you take the right steps and have the right people to support you.

After serving for 30 years in mainly frontline roles (including 24/7 response, Territorial Support Group, Dog Handler, Response and Neighbourhood policing Sergeant, Firearms Sergeant, Head of Operational Training and more), as I approached the end of my service, I was really unsettled and worried about life after policing.

I  successfully applied for and transitioned to a new role in Project Management, then Business Change, I went freelance and moved to a Change role in IT, working alongside Microsoft and numerous amazing consultancies, then became Platform Lead for Modern Workplace Technology at ASOS, before moving to an IT consultancy role working alongside Oracle  

Back in 2017/18, hearing I'd successfully transitioned to a new career, I was approached by friends and ex-colleagues who needed guidance and support moving into new careers, mid-service and on retirement and due to their success in applying for and understanding how to map across their skills and experience to new roles, word of mouth referrals led to more and more enquiries and Blue Light Leavers was created to help more people and now has members from the UK, Ireland, North America, Australia and more and a podcast audience across 60+ countries.

Unlike most other post-policing resettlement coaches, I did my time in full and I'm very lucky to have had significant success in numerous high-profile, six-figure roles in the corporate world, interview regularly for roles, and interview many others as a hiring manager, and I understand exactly what you are up against in today's job market. 

And believe me, I'm nothing special. I left school with 4 U's and got sacked on day one of my paper round! 

'There was one particular life changing incident that came out of nowhere and made me question everything.'

'I’d been on response, Crime Squad and then the Territorial Support Group, totally committed to the job.. I was married with a young family, working really long hours, grabbing rest days and overtime just to make ends meet. Like all of us, I missed birthdays, Christmas’, public holidays and regularly ended up sleeping on the gym floor at the base, because of overtime or having chosen going out for a few beers with my work mates over going home.  

All of this culminated in the inevitable breakdown of my marriage and a divorce. 

I transferred Forces to be closer to my daughter and it was when I was a dog handler that my ex-wife told me that she and her new husband had been offered jobs and the opportunity of a new life in Sydney, Australia, and they wanted to take my 12 year old daughter with them.

I fought the move, but after a really challenging conversation with my solicitor, I had to sign the papers to let her go and my heart broke.'

'No Aussie Forces were recruiting, I had no other skills, I felt completely lost, and I stayed put and work and the gym became my crutch.'

'I think I did ok at work, I liked having a reputation as a thief-taker, and winning a few awards and eleven commendations, gaining promotion and driving my team’s performance in different departments and then, nine years after my divorce, I married Claire (having said I’d never get married again.) We had two children, but at work, I was sick of being told where to be, when, what to do, still missing birthdays and Christmas and being really hard up, but completely caught in the pension trap. There was always something in me wanting to do something different, find a new career, a new life and see how far I could go outside of policing.'

 'On 30th April 2015, I handed in my warrant card and my 30 year policing career was over.' 

'I knew I had to do something, but since the age of 18, I’d only known policing, and although excited about the possibilities, I was very worried about where the money was coming from, losing my identity, my livelihood, my vocation, and losing touch with colleagues and work friends.'

If you HAVE felt, or ARE feeling, any of the emotions that I describe, I absolutely know how you feel.

There is life after policing. I've been really fortunate to have undertaken new, sought after career related qualifications. and graduated for the first time in my life at the age of 53! I took up drums for the first time, at the age of 48 and I've been playing in an indie 90's covers band since 2017.

Although not a motivator for many, almost by accident, I was able to more than double my Police salary, within 3 years of leaving. 

So, if you're early in service and know this job isn't for you, or you're impacted by the misconduct process, looking to move mid-service or you're leaving on retirement, including ill-health, and feeling lost and stuck, you can take the steps now to make the change, and click the link below and book a Clarity Call with Blue Light Leavers and we'll put a plan together and get you moving, and you can join the hundreds of others we've personally helped find new, fulfilling, well-paid careers, without the level of stress and impact on your mental health and loved ones.