PW_1_2022

Article

7 Region Half Yearly Social Weekend Colin Hutt , Vice Chair, 7 Region After such a long time waiting, restrictions were lifted enough for us to meet up in person at our half yearly meeting, and hold a social weekend. There was still some trepidation, as the last thing we wanted was to risk catching, or passing on, “sssh you know what”. We had all been double jabbed, but there was still the slight risk of catching the virus. W e met up on Friday afternoon , with some of our guests having travelled from as far away as Dunblane to join

Distributing copies of Police World at the G7

DJ who listened to his audience and played age- appropriate music, which actually got members onto the dancefloor. We had everything from Rock and Roll to the Gay Gordons and all things in between. As well as having a great night, we managed to raise £330 through a charity prize draw. The star prize was a bottle of the IPA single cask 23 year old whisky, won by our region chair, Colin. The money will be split between our IPA nominated charity The Thin Blue Line and the Royal British Legion. Many thanks to all who donated to the draw, both on the night and online. Sunday saw members heading back to their respective homes, but not before many took part in the Service of Remembrance in Torquay or in their own towns and villages. A cross with an IPA logo was laid at the memorial at the end of the formal ceremony. The cross was donated by Devon member Rab Peattie, who unfortunately was unable to attend the Service.

our social gathering. A huge thank you to Harry and Fiona Morton for joining us. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed the weekend as much as we enjoyed your company. It was great to finally meet up with friends we have only been able to see on Zoom, or exchange e-mails with. Saturday afternoon’s formalities were preceded by tea, coffee and a buffet. Then we held our half yearly meeting, chaired by Colin Gameson. It was great to see representatives from all of our Region’s branches present. This was also our first attempt at a hybrid meeting, with those unable to travel given the opportunity to take part via Zoom. We were joined toward the end of the proceedings by Aiden Goundry (West Mercia Branch), who spoke about Operation Zephyr and the fundraising required for volunteers to take part. Operation Zephyr is a plan to drive ambulances to The Gambia, and featured in the previous edition of Police World . During the meeting all things regional and national were discussed, and opinions from the floor taken. The highlight of the meeting was the presentation of certificates, marking the outstanding contributions made by our Region’s members over the last year. In particular, thanks were given for the invaluable assistance given during the G7 conference held in Carbis Bay. Without our volunteers, we would not have been able to make the contribution we did. The G7 was a success as a policing event, and had the added bonus of recruiting many new members to the IPA. So once again thank you. You know who you are. That evening, we met up in the bar before heading into the hotel restaurant for an excellent meal provided by the chef and staff at the Livermead House Hotel. After the food came the entertainment, provided by a disco with a

Ian Reynolds recieved a Signal Service Award

Colin Hutt at the Service of Remembrance in Torquay

Colin Gameson with Chief Constable Shaun Sawyer at the G7

Region 7 volunteers at the G7

POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

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