As usual, the DRCE team have had a busy start to 2024!

The team had a successful and record breaking 2023 and we attended 306 recruitment events, conferences, wellbeing events and hosted virtual information sessions.

We have continued with this day to day business at the beginning of 2024 and have already attended 142 events to date!

Whilst this work always keeps us busy, we have also worked hard to launch the new Police Staff Eligibility Campaign which invited newly eligible Police Staff to begin donations to both charities at the end of 2023 / 2024. We have already attended more Police Staff specific events and look forward to spreading the word to Police Staff throughout 2024.

As usual, we have some exciting fundraising events coming up in the next few months! We were supported by Ben Pearson from 1965 PTSD towards the end of 2023, and Ben continues to fundraise  for us in 2024; he is hosting an already sold-out gala ball in October! In addition, Bryn Hughes of the Nicola Hughes Foundation has pledged 50% of their fundraising total to the PTC from their upcoming New York Marathon Event.

In June, some of our staff will be taking on the infamous Great Knaresborough Bed Race and aiming to raise some vital funds for the PTC! This is a gruelling challenge culminating in a river dash. You can support your favourite staff member here https://rb.gy/6txo3o

 

 

 

 After the success of our Occupational Health Networking Day in 2023, we will be running this again in June 2024. This is a great opportunity for OH professionals to get together and share best practice but also find out what the PTC is doing to support their staff.  It’s also a chance to put those nagging questions to our experts.

Alongside our usual work, the team are looking forward to contributing to the exciting new projects that the charity is rolling out; such as an update to our IT systems, infrastructure and website.

The Police Children’s Charity continues to provide a lifeline to families during the most difficult of  times. We are proud that we are able to support the running of the Charity and Lascelles Holiday Home which acts as respite for those families who need it the most. It is always humbling to see and hear the fantastic feedback that is left by beneficiaries who have stayed with us. At the end of 2023 we ran another Amazon Wish List campaign which resulted in so many fantastic new toys, craft activities and games being donated to families using Lascelles Road Holiday Home.

My recent highlight has been attendance at the Oscar Kilo9 Conference with our Head of Clinical Services, Sarah Ward. The event was well attended by both two and four legged delegates! The conference was a superb opportunity to showcase the work of the Centres to expert OK9 handlers who are often supporting and signposting colleagues during potentially difficult times. Myself and Sarah also had chance to link in with OK9 handlers from across the UK and also learn more about wellbeing initiatives happening at both local and national levels from within OK9 but also from other Police Charities, organisations and interest and lobby groups. Of course, the most important meetings were with the dogs themselves!

We have recently welcomed Fran Greenwood back to the team from her maternity leave, and I look forward to working alongside her in joint leadership of the department during an exciting and transformative time for the charity.