Steve Payne, a Retired Officer from the Nottinghamshire Police Force, recently spent a week with us at our facility in Harrogate. Read his experience of the Centres, not only then but as a serving Officer as well.
“I joined Nottinghamshire Police in 1982 and signed up for the Police Treatment Centre during my initial Force training.![](/files/myimages/Ambassadors/Steve%20Payne%20Photo.jpg)
At that time the troubles in Northern Ireland were still at a peak and it was my way of contributing something to Irish Police Officers who needed treatment and a bit of rest and recovery. I suppose this was helped by the fact that we had had a couple of Irish Police Officers’ children stay with us when I was a teenager as my father had been a Police Officer meaning I witnessed, first-hand the benefit of a break for them.
It was not until a couple of years before retirement that I first used the Centre for myself having been diagnosed with a degenerative knee condition. My doctor informed me that it would only get worse until it got so painful that I would need a knee replacement.
The Physio and Fitness instructors at the centre gave me a programme to follow and 12 years later I am still on the same knee, I can only thank them for the effort and advice they gave me.
Five years ago (now retired) whilst out cycling I was knocked over by an overtaking car and ended up in hospital. Once up and about again I booked in for a week and again, they worked wonders.
I contributed all through my service and have continued to do so in retirement. Recently the centre has expanded the Well Being programme to retired officers, I have spoken to other officers who have attended and not heard one detrimental comment, all having said they benefited from attending.
If these are not reasons enough to become a donor then just think for a minute, my current annual contribution is about £54 a year. This will not even buy me a single consultation with a physiotherapist but it will get a week of one-to-one at Harrogate, a weeks accommodation and access to a first class gym, hydro therapy and swimming pool.”
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