Martin was born and brought up in Middleton and has spent his working life based in and around Greater Manchester. On leaving school he went into local government, pursuing a career in civil engineering, but after several years joined Greater Manchester Police where he remained until he retired.
Since his early teens, Martin has been involved in volunteering, either directly with charities or fundraising for them. When he was 16 years old, his volunteer work contributed to him being awarded the title ‘Rochdale Young Citizen of the Year.’
His volunteering work has led to him serving on the Boards of several charities and he is currently very active as a Trustee of Millgate Arts Centre in Delph. His previous regional/national Board appointments have included The Royal Jubilee Trusts, The Prince’s Trust, Greater Manchester Youth Association, Greater Manchester Drama Federation, Child Action Northwest and Home Start.
He has had a long-standing involvement in performing arts and for over twenty years has been a Drama Adjudicator. He is a script writer for theatre and so far he has written thirty works, the majority of which are published. His plays have been produced across the UK and as far afield as the USA, South Africa and Australia. He also devotes a lot of time to supporting local theatres in their work, championing hew writing and mentoring new writers. He is a member of The Society of Authors.
Martin is proud to have been President of the Children’s Amateur Theatre Society in Bolton for over fifteen years and his mentoring work with young performers was recognised by the Greater Manchester Drama Federation in 2009 with the Muriel Goodwin Trophy for ‘An Outstanding Contribution to Youth.’
In 2026 he was delighted to accept an invitation to become President of Saddleworth Male Voice Choir.
For the past several years, Martin has served as a Magistrate within Greater Manchester, a busy role which he finds extremely rewarding.
Martin was commissioned as a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester in 2025.