Unity Tour Team ready to ride 100 miles for COPS

A team of officers and staff will wear wristbands bearing the names of fallen officers as they set off on a 100-mile bike ride.

The Cambridgeshire team will begin the 2018 UK Police Unity Tour from force HQ on the morning of Friday, 27 July.

It’s all in aid of the Care of Police Survivors (COPS), a charity dedicated to helping the families of police officers who have lost their lives while on duty or in service.

They will ride about 45 miles on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday they will ride the final ten before joining other police teams (more than 300 people) and “survivors” (those receiving help from COPS) at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire.

During a service each team will place a wreath beneath its individually assigned tree and each “survivor” will be given a rose to lay for the person they lost.

Inspector Caroline Scully, who attended last year’s ceremony with her Cadets and will be taking part in the ride this year, said: “I found it incredible to listen to people’s stories and see what COPS do to help them. It was an amazing day, so I was absolutely implored to get involved the next time round.

“The team isn’t competitive; we put one of the strongest at the front and one of the strongest at the back. If we need to stop and break that’s always fine, it’s not a race.

“We’re working together, not against each other. The aim is to be a team and remember what we’re doing this for.”

So far, the team has raised just over £6600 through various fundraisers, including the bike ride. Each member of the team is riding in memory of a fallen Cambridgeshire/Mid-Anglia officer, and will wear a wristband bearing their name.

Taking part in this year’s ride are the following Cambridgeshire officers and staff:

• Response Investigator Brady Slack, riding in memory of Detective Sergeant Francis Willis
• RPU Sergeant Rebecca Jones, riding in memory of Sergeant Jeremy Thorogood and Major Crime Officer Rebecca Griffiths
• Inspector Rachael Gourlay, riding in memory of Detective Constable Sharon Garrett and Major Crime Officer Rebecca Griffiths
• Police Constable Chris Herring, riding in memory of Police Constable Alan Lee
• Cambridge Federation Chair Liz Groom, riding in memory of Police Constable Andreas Newbery and Major Crime Officer Rebecca Griffiths
• Internal Verifier Claire Beck, riding in memory of Detective Constable Inspector Kenneth Hunt and Major Crime Officer Rebecca Griffiths
• Detective Constable Mike Gray, riding in memory of Chief Constable William Edwards
• Detective Constable Hannah Brooks, riding in memory of Detective Constable Karen Paterson
• Constable Justin Bielawski, riding in memory of Police Constable Richard Peak
• Inspector Caroline Scully , riding in memory of Detective Constable Ben Devonshire and Major Crime Officer Rebecca Griffiths
• Traffic Officer Benjamin Patten, riding in memory of Special Commandant Reginald Nicholson and Major Crime Officer Rebecca Griffiths
• Police Constable Iain Perry, acting as support in memory of Police Constable Michael Perry
• Special Inspector Paul Jenkins, riding in memory of Police Constable Anthony Allder
• Deputy Chief Constable Alan Baldwin, riding in memory of Police Constable Joe Mabuto, Thames Valley Police
• Design Out Crime Officer Dave Griffin

There is a total of 15 in the team, with Dave Griffin and Paul Jenkins as support drivers.

To donate to COPS visit the Unity Tour Team’s Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cambs-policeunitytour2018