PW_1_2024

Keeping you informed

Keeping you informed

Welcome to Police World 1 of 24. Just before Christmas, VP Chris Duncombe told us that we had achieved the 8,000 members milestone. Thank you to all of you involved in this great achievement. There really is so much to offer being a member of the IPA, and to see us break the 8,000 members barrier after quite a challenging time with membership was something to shout about.

Y ou may have noticed a slight increase in your subscriptions. We had not raised subscriptions for many years, and had to put them up with quite a bump the other year. So National Council agreed little and often was a better approach. Hopefully you won’t notice but, if you do wish to comment, please write to the national treasurer Bill. I have a lot to cover in this edition. I’ll start by mentioning the excellent number of professional exchanges, taking place and being reported upon. Again, in the hands of VP (Professional), Chris Duncombe. Well done Chris and thank you to all those who have benefited or hosted an exchange program. If you have ever been the recipient of a scholarship or study award from the IPA, one of your alumni suggested it would be good to meet socially, and discuss the learning and adventures you have collectively enjoyed. I am completely supportive of this notion and invite you, if you are one of the members who has previously enjoyed a scholarship or study award, to contact VP (social/cultural) Karen Duckworth, who will arrange something in our special anniversary year of 2025. Speaking of 2025 that brings me nicely into our request to Her Royal Highness, the Princess Royal. I wrote recently asking if she would be willing to be our patron again next year, and I’m delighted to tell you that she has agreed. This is a real privilege for our association, and as an honorary life associate member, it will be great to have her Royal patronage throughout the year. I’m also delighted to see how many friendship weeks are being advertised and planned by regions around the country to help in the celebrations for 2025 so well done and thank you to all of you. Last time I told you, I had undertaken to personally write to all members who reached milestone membership of the Association, but that if you thought I had missed you to let me know. Well, nothing is perfect and my sincerest apologies together with a belated card went to Iian Wylie of Region 2 who wondered if theirs had been lost in the post. My mistake and my sincere apologies I will try harder this year.

Thinking about members with a significant number of years in the association, it gave me enormous pleasure to meet with my old boss, John Penlington and his wife Sylvia, as we went out for lunch at a local garden centre. I include this in my report really just to embarrass John, who was my Inspector many years ago when I was a Custody Sergeant. He was a fantastic boss, who even tried to take the blame when I lost a prisoner. As it turned out, the Chief Superintendent wasn’t having any of it, and I received an entry in the divisional caution register! Helen and I had a wonderful visit to Region 2, to join in the celebrations for the 70th Anniversary at Stormont Castle. Thank you to Regional Chair, Deirde Mahony, and all the team. An amazing £1,000 was raised for the Thin Blue Line. I won the raffle with 48 bags of the best crisps ever (or so I’m told). Sadly, my carry-on bag was not sufficient to bring them home, so there were in fact many raffle winners. My visit to the Tower of London to meet the Yeoman Warders and present them with certificates and a small gift of a tie or scarf, was very well received. In fact, the Chief Warder immediately offered a donation to our Thin Blue Line charity, for which we are of course, enormously grateful. We remain grateful to the warders, for the time spent giving tours of the tower, the opportunity to witness the Ceremony of the Keys, and of course, have a drink in the beefeaters private bar. I told you last time I was visiting Cyprus to celebrate their 40th anniversary together with National Treasurer Bill Lloyd. We spent a very pleasant few days with our good friends from Cyprus. This was followed by a short visit to Montenegro to celebrate their 10th anniversary. They are a young, small section, but goodness me, we had a fantastic couple of days. I also attended Gimborn for the Gimborn conversations. A worthwhile meeting with other presidents, and young members from around our area. Somehow, I ended up a referee/guide/helper at the IPA National clay pigeon shoot, which was held in Cambridgeshire. Together with our sponsors, Giles Marriott guns, we had an excellent day, even if the weather was a little against us.

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POLICE WORLD Vol 69 No.1, 2024