October 2018
It’s hard to believe this is only my second Chair’s Report. NSW Police Legacy is a busy and productive organisation, and I’ve had to hit the ground running to keep up. But as the Chair of the Police Force charity, it’s only right that my first acknowledgement is of National Police Remembrance Day. It is always an honour to attend this sacred ceremony, and it was even more so to attend this year as a representative of the families who have lost loved ones.
That honour continues with each and every community event held either to raise funds for us, or to help a specific member of the Police Family. In the last couple of months we’ve had the ‘Do the 5’ fun run in Newcastle, the ‘Brisbane Water Paddle’ in Gosford, and the launch of the appeal for Inspector Peter Crooks, just to name a few. I’m forever amazed at the selfless generosity of the people who give their time to organise and run these events, and humbled at the role our charity plays in facilitating this care.
Another way we care for our family is in the retraining and confidence-boosting of former or transitioning police, and the BACKUP for Life team have been going strong in this department. The career transition program has yielded fantastic results this year, and I urge anyone contemplating a change to attend the Expo on 1 November.
Something else our charity does spectacularly well is celebrate. It was wonderful to catch up with so many of you at the Blue Ribbon Ball – in honour, in memory, and in joy – and I’m already looking forward to joining you at the Annual Christmas Luncheon on 30 November. And one last thing to look forward to? The Police Boxing event on 21 November! This year it’s UK cops Vs Australian cops. I’ll have to keep my biases to myself.
