Police Chief’s make joint £20,000 donation to Police Treatment Centres
7 March 2019
West Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and the Temporary Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police have made a £20,000 donation to the Police Treatment Centres.
The Police Treatment Centres is a registered charity which provides treatment and support, including intensive, police-specific, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, for injured and ill police officers and retired officers
Almost 4000 serving and retired officers attend one of the two Treatment Centres each year at either St Andrews, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, or Castlebrae in Auchterarder, Perthshire.
The £20,000 donation was made using the Police Property Act Fund which contains money from the sale of property connected with crime and can only be used for charitable donations.
Both the PCC and Temporary Chief Constable visited the centre in Harrogate last week (28/02) to make the donation as well as speak to staff about the incredible work they do.
Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire's PCC, said: "The Police Treatment Centres do fantastic work and I was pleased to be able to see and hear about all their work on a recent visit and make this donation to such a worthy cause.
"The health and wellbeing of police officers is absolutely paramount. They risk an awful lot to keep our communities safe and it is only right that we reciprocate in helping contribute towards very valuable services and facilities that the centre offers to thousands of officers each year.
"I continue to do everything I can to help protect the welfare of officers and staff, having pledged my full support to the Protect the Protectors Bill, which recently became law.
"Policing has never faced a more challenging time, we all know too well the funding and demand pressures on the service and I am committed to ensuring that officers and staff have the help they need during these difficult times and the Police Treatment Centre is a valuable piece of that jigsaw."
T/Chief Constable John Robins, said: "The welfare of our officers is a priority for this Force and the treatment centre is an important part in ensuring they get the best care when they need it the most.
"I was happy to accompany the Police and Crime Commissioner on a visit to the centre and to see first-hand the important work that takes place there."
Patrick Cairns, CEO of the Police Treatment Centres, said: ""We are incredibly grateful to the Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark Burns-Williamson and T/Chief Constable, John Robins for their very generous donation of £20,000 to the Police Treatment Centres. West Yorkshire Police are one of our largest Forces and we treat hundreds of West Yorkshire Police and Police Staff for a range of physical and psychological injuries and issues each year. We take huge pride in supporting these women and men on their path to recovery and getting them back on duty protecting and looking after the people of West Yorkshire.
Police Officers and Staff put their lives at risk every day whilst carrying out their duties on our behalf and this has been reflected in recent years in the significant growth in the number of police patients requesting admission for treatment at the PTC for a variety of Wellbeing issues. As a result, the PTC is expanding its Wellbeing Programme which will allow us to treat even more patients presenting with these type of issues and ensure that we manage waiting times effectively. This fantastic donation from the PCC Mark Burns-Williamson and T/CC John Robins will go to directly supporting the planned growth of our Wellbeing Programme and will make a real difference in helping us improve our work. It was a pleasure to host both the PCC and T/Chief Constable for a visit to our centre in Harrogate recently and it was clear they were both impressed by our treatment programmes and facilities and were also genuinely interested in the welfare and health of West Yorkshire Police Officers and staff, and this has been reflected in a large donation to the PTC to support our work"
To find out more about The Police Treatment Centres including the help and support they offer visit www.thepolicetreatmentcentres.org
