A former piano teacher who changed careers after 25 years to become a prison officer says she has no regrets.

Elizabeth Rogerson, 45, made the drastic decision to switch from piano lessons to prison cells in February of last year - after more than two decades in the industry.

The former teacher and musician from Woking says that she made the life-changing decision during the Covid lockdown through a desire for change.

Since switching careers, Elizabeth has found that there are a lot of transferable skills, such as communication and resilience, from working with children in the music sector.

In her new job at HMP Coldingley in Bisley, the officer says she is never bored and hasn't once regretted her radical career change.

She said: “I followed in the footsteps of my parents who were both musicians and played the piano at various hotels in London during afternoon teas and cocktail nights before teaching children for over 25 years.

"After lockdown, I decided I needed a change and wanted to do something completely different.

"Every day in the prison is different and busy, and though some days can be challenging, I love working on the wings, engaging with prisoners and using my time in a meaningful way.

“I don’t miss my old job, I knew I was at a point where I needed to do something different. The days go by faster now and it’s never boring."

Elizabeth says that her music-loving family were very surprised to hear that she wanted to change career paths, but that they ended up supporting the decision.

She added: “My family were quite shocked when I told them I was joining the prison service.

"I think there’s a lot of stigma surrounding prisons and officers but they’re now all really supportive as they know it was the right decision. They can see how much I’m really enjoying it.

“Anyone considering changing careers like me should definitely think about joining the prison service."

The Ministry of Justice say there are no previous qualifications needed to become an operational support staff or prison officer at HMP Coldingley as training is provided.

Instead they claim to value the personal qualities of employees such as good judgement, common sense, responsibility, and teamwork.

Elizabeth added: “I’ve learnt a lot about myself since I started and I’m much more capable than I realised.

"The job can be stressful at times but it’s very rewarding knowing you can help prisoners try to change their lives.

"It’s not a job for everyone and it does take a certain type of person. You need to be able to communicate with people from all walks of life, but you also need a real resilience about you as we can deal with some challenging situations

"You’re often dealing with different situations and challenging yourself every day.”