Leicestershire Police says 'Thank You' to outstanding volunteers

Leicestershire Police is taking the opportunity to say ‘thank you’ to their dedicated volunteers, special constables, police cadets and chaplains during Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June).

Volunteers’ Week is an annual celebration of the contribution millions of people make across the UK through volunteering. The 730 volunteers who support Leicestershire Police have contributed an incredible 87,723 hours this year to helping the force keep the communities of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland safe.

Assistant Chief Constable Julia Debenham said: “This year Volunteers’ Week feels more relevant than ever. Community spirit has thrived with so many people volunteering to help their families, friends, neighbours and communities. It’s important for us to recognise and support volunteers.

“As a force, we appreciate our special constables, police volunteers, chaplains and police cadets every day and Volunteers’ Week provides an opportunity for us to reflect on the brilliant work they’ve carried out over the last year. Their contribution of more than 87,000 hours is truly outstanding and I feel proud to work alongside such inspiring people.”

Usually the force’s volunteers would be coming together to in a host of activities throughout the week, but in light of the current Government guidelines, the planned events have been postponed.

Superintendent Adam Slonecki, lead for Volunteers in Policing, says: “This week should have been a week of celebration where we could have thanked our volunteers in person for the huge commitment they give every single day across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. While this is not possible, it's remarkable that their commitment to volunteering has not wavered and they have given more to their communities with their time and their support than ever before.

“In less than eight weeks, our team of 76 Special Constables contributed almost 9,000 hours to frontline policing as part of Operation Formidable, increasing the force’s resilience and ensuring we maintained workforce numbers.

“The Leicestershire and Rutland 4x4 Response group have been working tirelessly to deliver medication to people who are vulnerable or isolating. Our volunteer biometrics team also stepped up to ensure we were able to continue recruiting police officers throughout this difficult time.

“Although our police chaplains have been unable to visit police stations in person, they are always at the end of a phone if an officer or staff member needs to talk. As a team they significantly contributed to our VE Day celebrations – albeit virtually – and have also continued to work within local communities during lockdown.

“With the cadet sessions suspended, we’ve been setting a weekly virtual challenge to keep our police cadets busy and remind them that their commitment to abiding to the lockdown restrictions plays its part in keeping all of our communities safe. So far they’ve thanked key workers, set an example of how to celebrate VE day safely and still have fun, completed acts of kindness and spread positive messages during Mental Health Awareness Week.

“It truly has been inspirational to know that we have such a committed and diverse team. We will celebrate their support once restrictions are eased, but until then I am certain that our volunteers will continue to support policing and their communities. We are very proud of each and every one of them.”

The force will be sharing a volunteer story every day this week on the Facebook page ‘Leicestershire Police’ and Twitter feed @leicspolice.

This weekend (6-7 June) is also National Specials Weekend. Read about how Leicestershire’s Special Constabulary have played a pivotal role in the force’s response to managing the Covid-19 pandemic.

To find out more about volunteering opportunities with Leicestershire Police, please visit leics.police.uk/couldyou.  

Leicestershire Police Volunteers