To mark International Women’s Day (Saturday 8 March), we spoke to award-winning Federation member Holly Nicholls as she reflected on a career which has seen her evolve from an eager young officer to an inspirational leader. 

Born and raised in Harrogate, Holly is currently an inspector overseeing neighbourhood policing in the same community she called her own growing up.

The journey she has made back to her hometown has been a long one, however, beginning in 2007 when she joined Thames Valley Police as a 21-year-old.

Keen to impress and full of energy and enthusiasm, Holly learnt her trade in response – but it was another unit she had her eyes on from the start. 

“Firearms was what I worked towards straight away, really. It didn’t bother me that there were very few female officers doing it, I just wanted to be involved in something very operational and firearms appealed to me a lot,” she said. 

“And after six years, I got there. Along the way, I became an officer safety and CBRN trainer and was accredited with public order and method-of-entry skills. 

“I think it’s fair to say I threw myself into policing – I knew I had so much to give. I always wanted to join the police, but joining the force where I lived wasn’t for me. 

Diverse

“That’s why I moved to Thames Valley, as the demands are so diverse and fast-paced, and I wanted that challenge on my own. It felt like my equivalent of going off to university.” 

Holly, now 39, went on to enjoy a four-year stint as a firearms officer, becoming adept in the Force’s strategy across countless critical incidents. 

While still enjoying the intensity of the role, she then began to consider whether she needed a fresh purpose in policing as she approached a decade in the profession. 

“As much as I loved firearms, I think I wanted something where I could take a pause and connect with the people I was helping," she continued. 

“When I was then diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, it confirmed in my mind it was time to make the next step.” 

Gamechanger

A promotion to sergeant followed, involving a post on a problem-solving unit which Holly describes as a ‘gamechanger’ for allowing her to work preventatively, as opposed to finding solution after solution in her previous duties. 

But life changes of even greater significance were yet to come, as in 2018, Holly changed forces to West Yorkshire Police and became a first-time mother within a matter of months. 

Navigating this period of upheaval, she says she put pressure on herself to juggle both parenthood and a fresh start in work. 

“It was difficult at first. I never wanted to stand still in my career, but I also wanted to do the best for my family.

“But once I’d achieved a better work-life balance, I realised how much having a child changed my identity as a police officer.

“It changed my emotional intelligence towards how I policed and how I managed people. I used to be quite robust in my policing, but I started approaching high-risk situations differently when I had someone at home to think about. 

And when the opportunity arose to take everything she had learnt back up to North Yorkshire Police in 2020, Holly says she didn’t hesitate to take it. 

This wasn’t just a romantic homecoming, however, but a chance to make an impact.

Inspector

After stepping up rank again to inspector and working hard to help a team of 20 officers and staff succeed in Harrogate, Holly received an in-Force leadership award, and also won at last year’s Public Choice Awards, held jointly with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. 

“Both of those were, hands-down, two absolute highs of my career,” she said. 

“As my time in it has gone on, policing for me has become more about making people feel valued. You can sometimes feel quite isolated as a leader, especially when you have to make difficult decisions, but to be voted by my colleagues for the Leadership Award was a huge honour. 

“It was a real privilege to win and made me realise how much the police has become my family.” 

Police

As for her Public Choice Award, Holly, who has had two more children during her time in North Yorkshire Police, says she is ‘prouder than ever’ with the way her career has worked out.

“I was really blown away by it, to be honest. 

“All the way through my time in policing, my values have stayed the same – fairness, respect, and courage in the face of adversity – but my perspective has changed. Being an officer where I grew up has made me realise it’s not just my job, but it’s woven into my life. 

“Now I’m older and I can pause for a moment, I can appreciate how it’s been come full-circle. 

“It never used to be a clear aim of mine, but maybe deep down, I always knew I wanted to come back here and police one day,” she ended.

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