PW_4_2023

Keeping you informed

Keeping you informed

I start this article both happy and sad. I am sad that two members of our National Executive have chosen to step down before the end of their term of office. Whilst I fully support their decisions it would be remiss of me not to thank them both for the great personal contribution they have made to this Association during their term on the NEC.

A s I write this article, summer seems to have been a bit of a disappointment. There has been quite a bit happening in IPA terms since our National Council Meeting in Peterborough, last June. The new members of your National Executive have been busy settling into their new roles, and I must thank them, and all members of the team for the tremendous amount of effort that goes into running our Association. I mentioned last time that Section Germany had taken the lead on a recruitment and retention video. They subsequently stood down from this project, and our own Vice President for Communications, Colin Hutt, has taken up the baton. I will be reporting on that and other matters, to the meeting of the Gimborn Conversation, where I will join some of our younger members to discuss ideas with other Sections. It is always a pleasure to visit IBZ Gimborn for this important meeting. Do remember, there are fantastic opportunities for you to visit Gimborn to attend one of their excellent courses, with support available towards the seminar costs once every two years. I mentioned last time, that we hoped to deliver a first at Fox Road, by hosting a friendship and learning weekend with senior police officers from Thailand, who were located around the UK on academic courses. I am delighted to say this went ahead, and was very successful. It was a proof of concept that we could deliver training courses at Fox Road, and also resulted in 10 new foreign associate members joining Section UK.

I must thank Vice President, Karen Duckworth, former National Secretary-General, Steve Bretherton and members Martin Turner, Deirdre Mahony and Tom Chisholm, for their first class presentations. Let’s hope we can deliver more such seminars in the coming months.

Timo during a short visit to the UK. I showed them round Fox Road, and we exchanged the usual gifts. I also attended a Branch coffee morning with my own Branch, Leicestershire. Thank you as always to the organisers. There were over 20 people present. It was a lovely opportunity to catch up, and then spend a significant amount of money in the garden centre. Now, I know, we have certificates for members achieving certain membership milestones, but I wanted to personally mark the significant membership of those members achieving 50, 60, or in some cases, 65 years of membership. Their continued support is so important, and is what allows us to thrive as we do. So, I took the opportunity to personally write to each member, just over 100 as it turned out, thanking them for their support. If you received a card, I hope you appreciated it. If you think you should have had a card, but didn’t get one, do please let me know. In other news; I attended the Region 5 half yearly meeting by Zoom. Thank you to all who turned out for a useful meeting, and good luck to Kieran, the new Chair, as he starts to steer the Region. A development day and meeting of your National Executive was held over two days at Fox Road. Much business was covered, and discussions about developing opportunities for members over the coming months and years. Helen and I had a very pleasant cup of coffee (and a small scone), when we met Ian & Laura Reynolds from Hampshire, who were in Leicestershire for an extended break.

The NEC using the conference facilities at Fox Road

Personally, I was able to see a bit of sunshine during the summer, as Helen and I took a two week cruise around the Mediterranean, which was very relaxing. I was also fortunate, together with Vice President Communications Colin Hutt, to attend the 60th celebration of Section Israel. We had a wonderful few days, and “thank you” to President Gal Sharon, and the rest of her team. The British Section sponsored Section Israel in 1963 at World Congress in Oslo Norway. Being a 1963 baby, we were both celebrating a big year this year! I was really pleased to meet a member of IPA Israel, who showed me his father’s Overseas Associate membership card from 1962. You may remember that the last Northern European Forum was hosted by Section Germany in Munich. So, I was delighted to host Constance, the Chair of the Munich branch, and her husband

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POLICE WORLD Vol 68 No.4, 2023