April 2019
It’s been a busy couple of months in the office as the year creeps further along and together with our Family Support Officer Leisa Doherty, I’ve been getting out as much as I can to support and interact with our Legatees. We recently returned from a road trip to the North Coast where we met as many wonderful Legatees as we could at local area lunches.
I was honoured to present a cheque to the children of the late Peter Irby, a serving officer who sadly passed away last year. The funds were a result of fundraising organised by Peter’s colleagues to fulfil his last wish. To take his three children to Disneyland. It was a truly special moment presenting Peter’s children and wife Diona with this very special gift, and one that reminds me of all the very different and unique ways we help our police families.
In February we hosted the inaugural over 18’s weekend for our Legatees at Cockatoo Island which was a great success. It was an opportunity to reconnect and catch up with friends, many of whom have shared strong friendships since their first ever Police Legacy Camps many years earlier. This will no doubt be the first of many of get-togethers for our older Legatees.
Preparation for this year’s Kokoda trek is well underway with several practice hikes scheduled. The Commissioner, Mick Fuller APM has also been taking his training and commitment to the Trek seriously, having already raised well over $20,000 for our police families.
With the Commissioner’s support and his commitment to joining us on the Trek, we are embarking on a campaign within the NSW Police Force to highlight the value of Police Legacy and ensure that all serving police donate via salary contributions. Salary contributions are one of our main sources of income, and ensuring that all police contribute will allow us to expand our benefits and services to the ever-growing needs of our beneficiaries.
On behalf of NSW Police Legacy I would like to recognise the loyalty we have received from our Vice Patron Mr Troy Grant, who in his role of Police Minister over the last four years has been very supportive of NSW Police Legacy. Mr Grant was instrumental in securing funding for our Back Up for Life Program and we thank him for this support and wish him all the best in his post political life, knowing that he will continue to be part of the police family.
In our next newsletter we will be able to share with you the experiences of our Legatees doing the 2019 Kokoda Trek, which I very much look forward to.
