Your Federation Reps – working hard for you

Writing in the latest issue of Policing Times, secretary David Orr introduces the Federation’s full time officials and explains how they are working to promote the interests of members. To read the full issue of Policing Times visit; http://online.pubhtml5.com/ncsw/qqhz/

There has been a tremendous amount of change in the Police Federation in 2018. Elections were held both locally and nationally for the first time in over four years.

During the Spring and Summer, Northumbria Police Federation held elections for our Branch Council. These elections finished in May and we now have 43 Representatives, made up of 39 work-placed Reps and four full-time officials.

Your full time officials are:

Jim Gray (Chairman)

David Orr (Secretary)

Michael Kelliher (Vice Chairman/Discipline Lead)

Gary Collinson (Deputy Secretary/Treasurer)

The 39 workplace Reps are split into five constituent areas: Northern, Southern, Central, Crime and Operations. Previously, these 39 would have been split along rank and gender, with each rank holding 13 posts and three positions for Female Reserve Seats.

Changes in Regulations and following on from the hard work of the Federation as a whole to be a more inclusive, diverse and representative body, we changed how we elected your Reps. There are now nine Inspectors, 14 Sergeants and 16 Constables, eight of whom are female officers.

Eleven of those 39 are newly elected members of the Council and will be given specialist training over the coming months to ensure they are fully equipped to meet all our members’ needs.

Varied Experience

We have a wide variety of experience, and many of our Reps specialise in certain areas of business – with discipline being the most vital. Other areas include Equality, Grievance handling, Health & Safety, Professional Development and Health Management.

Our Council elects members to the Branch Board, which has a variety of roles and responsibilities. It is made up of three Inspectors, three Sergeants and six Constables. It is from the Board that we elect our full-time officials.

We are your Team, there to represent, advise, assist, negotiate and influence on behalf of you all. We will be in post for the next three years.

Here For You

We are a Staff Association, there for the benefit of our members. The Council is a new group of people, virtually every single member and all the full-time officials are affected by the Pensions changes.

Northumbria Police Federation are the voice of those brave men and women who carry out the role of a police officer, day in day out, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.

In all weathers, facing danger and assault, violence and intimidation. Serving the public and standing up for what is right.

That gives us a great responsibility. We all understand what it means to be a cop. We all know what it’s like to be cold, hungry and exhausted and sometimes, yes, to be afraid. We depend on one another and as colleagues we need to look after one another. All our Team are volunteers, they all want to give something back.

While every member of our Team became a Federation Representative for different reasons, we all share a common ethos. That ethos is to have the interests of our members, our colleagues and friends at the heart of everything we do.

Real Change

Over the past few months, we have had many issues to deal with, including Monthly Pay and Cancelled Rest Days. We have worked hard – often behind the scenes and with unsung success. Yet we have been influential and have affected real change.

We don’t always achieve all we set out to do, but we work continuously to try to get the best results for our members.

Jim, Michael, Gary and I, supported by those 39 volunteers, are building a new Federation. We are seeking to professionalise our Reps and our Teams. With more focus on top class training and support from the PFEW, we aim to be more member focused than ever before.

In the months and years to come, we will face many challenges, including the proposed new Force Operating Model, further cuts to our numbers, changes in how we are recruited and how we are paid.

The next three years will be extremely challenging, but I believe we have the right people to face that challenge.

It is a privilege to represent the fine officers of Northumbria and I would personally like to thank all those who have volunteered to step up and be part of our Team.

Pictured is Your Northumbria Police Federation Branch Board Council: (Back row left to right) Neil Gray, Gavin Craig, David Crombie, Andy Bond, Anthony Pattison, Ian Drummond. (Middle row left to right) Harninder Bola, Tom Hibberd, Keir Gray, Vicky Quinn, David Simpson, Judith Boldon, Neil Suthern, Trevor Oakley, John Connolly, Paul Hamilton, Robert Stowers, Nick Munnelly, Neil Gribbon, Taryn Cooke. (Front row left to right) Andy Smith, Adrian Smiles (National Rep), Craig Briggs, Neil Craig, Vanessa Cook, Gary Collinson, David Orr, Jim Gray, Michael Kelliher, Sharron Phillips, Ivan Hart, Leesa Dowell, Keith Smith, Gary Metcalfe. Branch Board Council Members not pictured: Trevor Oakley, Ian Graham, Andrew Delaney, Anthony Moody, Jane Munro, Matthew Locke, Neil Scanlan, Kevin Cooper, Scott Berry.