Born in Matlock in 1980, David attended both All Saints CE Infants and All Saints CE Junior Schools before moving onto his secondary school education. He was a pupil at Highfields School between 1991 and 1998. He achieved well at the school, despite his dyslexia, and particularly excelled in computing and technology. In Y11, he was entered by the school’s technology department for an Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, which involved an initial examination, followed by an invitation to attend an interview weekend at Trent College which included applicants working on challenges in teams and individual formal interviews. The family were delighted when he was successful and as parents, we accompanied him to London for the presentation. David’s scholarship was sponsored by Rolls Royce and David and the school’s Head of Technology at that time, Paul Eastwood, spent a day touring their sites in Derby. As part of the prize, David was presented with a cheque for £500 which he spent on parts to build his own PC. Highfields School also benefited from the scholarship as the school also received £500. We believe that David was the first pupil from the school to achieve the Scholarship. In later years, David was invited by the Arkwright Scholarship to take part in the selection process for future scholarships – he really enjoyed being involved in the process.

From Highfields, David went on to study for a BEng (Hons) in Micro Electronics and Computer Engineering at Staffordshire University, graduating in 2002. He returned to Highfields in August of that year, working as IT Network Manager across both Sites until December 2005, when he moved to Derbyshire’s Schools IT Support as a Network Support Engineer, providing support for over 400 schools. In 2009, David took the bold decision to return to education and began studying for an MSc in Forensic Computing and Security at Derby University. Digital forensics quickly became a new interest and passion for David and in March of the following year, he was successful in obtaining the position of Forensic Computer Examiner/Investigator with West Midlands Police. He continued working towards his Masters degree which he achieved, with Merit, in 2012. In subsequent years he was invited back to Derby University as a guest lecturer and he also lectured at Bristol University.

Sadly, at the end of May 2016, David received the devastating news that he had Stage 4 Bowel cancer. After 12 months of treatment, including fortnightly rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, a colostomy, liver surgery and finally removal of the tumour, David took the opportunity of joining a group of motor bikers in a ride from Lands End to John O’ Groats, raising money for Bowel Cancer UK, riding on L plates! Despite heavy rain each day he achieved the challenge, passing his motor bike test shortly afterwards and writing articles for magazines about the ride and the treatment he had undergone. He also helped to set up an online charity “Mental Health Motorbikes”, undertaking training in First Aid for Mental Health and offering support to fellow bikers suffering short- or longer-term mental health issues.

David developed a mantra, #GetOutDoStuff, to encourage everyone to make the most of what time they have and to live each day to the full. Although the cancer returned within a year, David made the most of his time between treatments to “get out and do stuff”. Adventures included a motorbike trip across the USA, with the highlight being the decision that he and his partner, Krina, made to marry in Las Vegas – something family and friends were able to witness as the ceremony was ‘live-streamed’. In breaks between the fortnightly, grueling and relentless chemotherapy, David’s adventures continued, including a return to the USA with his father, where David spoke at a “Horizons Unlimited” bikers’ festival. He took his motorbike on a solo trip to Norway, passing through Northern Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden and managed holidays with his wife to Iceland and other areas closer to home.

Of course, the arrival of Covid in March 2020 greatly curtailed David’s adventures; he was fortunate that his chemotherapy was able to continue and used the time to write magazine articles about his adventures, also producing videos and articles for Marie Curie about the challenges of living with cancer through a pandemic and taking part in Bowel Cancer UK’s “Never Too Young” campaign. Despite David’s grit and determination, and the best efforts of medical staff, David sadly passed away in September 2022.