Throwback Thursday: From Winstanley College to the Newsroom

Fresh from returning to Winstanley College last week—where the Manchester Evening News reported on the Makerfield by-election hustings—former student George Lyghgoe reflected on his time at College and the journey that has since taken him into a career in journalism.

George says

“I attended Lowton High School before coming to Winstanley, where I studied History, Chemistry and Maths.

Outside of lessons, I played tennis and completed my Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award through the College. That experience in particular was invaluable, it pushed me out of my comfort zone and helped me build confidence, resilience and teamwork skills that I still use today.

After leaving Winstanley, I went on to study Bioarchaeology (BSc) at the University of York. York is an incredible place to study, it’s a beautiful city, full of history, and the College system there really helps you feel part of a community. After completing my degree, I decided to change direction slightly and pursued a Masters in Broadcast Journalism (MA) at the University of Salford.

I now work as a journalist for the Manchester Evening News as a Local Democracy Reporter, covering Tameside and Rochdale. It’s a role that allows me to stay closely connected to local communities and report on the issues that really matter to people.

In the future, I’d like to stay in journalism, continue writing and hopefully branch into radio broadcasting as well.

For anyone thinking about coming to Winstanley, my advice would be to choose subjects you enjoy and are good at. I’ve seen so many people pick subjects based on a specific career idea, only to realise later they don’t enjoy it and end up changing direction anyway. Also, studying languages can be incredibly beneficial, it opens up opportunities for travel, work and studying abroad.

If you’re interested in going into journalism, try to get work experience as early as possible because it’s a very competitive field. At the same time, just start writing, whether that’s your own blog, articles or anything else. It shows initiative and a real willingness to develop your skills.

Looking back, Winstanley gave me the opportunities to learn, improve and move forward in my career. It was definitely worth the two-hour daily round trip on the bus from Leigh! One thing I would say to new students, though—be ready for the jump from GCSE to A-Level. It’s challenging, but with the right mindset and support, it’s completely manageable.”

Thank you, George, for sharing your story. If you are a former student please consider joining our alumni network to support and inspire students in their career ambitions: Alumni - Winstanley College