British Legion Poppy Appeal 2012

Email received via NARPO HQ from Alice Fisher of the British Legion :

Each year, in early November some 30,000 Legion volunteers take to the streets with poppies and collecting boxes, raising millions of pounds for the Poppy Appeal. The money collected at this time and from numerous other fundraising activities throughout the year, goes to providing help and support to serving and ex-Service men and women and their dependants. Without volunteer collectors out there on the streets, without appeal organisers planning the collections, this great cause - that helps thousands of ex-Service men and women every year - would grind to a halt.

I am hoping that you could circulate the attached flier amongst your organisation as November is fast approaching and our need for new volunteers to assist us is as great as ever. This year’s collection runs from October 27th to November 11th 2012.

Additionally if there are other ways you think your members would like to be involved I would love to discuss this further.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards

Alice

If you feel you could offer any assistance to the British Legion or want further details please email : AFisher@britishlegion.org.uk

Death of a retired Police Officer - Inspector Michael E. Flanagan

It is with the deepest sadness and regret that we have to advise you of the death of retired colleague, Inspector Michael E Flanagan who died this morning Friday 20th April 2012 aged 63 years.

Michael joined Durham Constabulary as a Police Cadet on 31st August 1965 remaining in that role until his appointment on 20th May 1968 as a serving police constable. 

He served in Training, Hartlepool, Teesdale, Darlington and Consett including almost a year working with Teesside Police.  He was promoted to Sergeant in 1977 and served at Stanley, Annfield Plain and Force Training.  In 1984 he was promoted to Inspector and served at Wear Valley, Chester-le-Street, HQ Admin, Consett and Control Room.  In 1982 Michael became Deputy Sub Divisional Commander for Chester-le-Street before moving into Police Recruiting then Durham City. 

He retired as an inspector in Control Room on 29th February 2004.Michael was to remain part of the organisation taking up clerical posts in Communications, Central Admin, Support Services, IS &T, and Resourcing leaving the organisation on 17th March 2009.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce, and his two daughters Lynn and Jill who are very much in our thoughts at this difficult time.

A funeral service will be held on Friday 27th April 2012 at 10:15 at All Saints Parish Church, Durham Road, Lanchester (DH7 0LJ)
Please note this is the Church of England Church on Durham Road in Lanchester and not All Saints RC Church which is also in the village.
The service will be followed by cremation at Mounsett Crematorium, Dipton at 11:00.
There are to be family flowers only however donations in lieu of flowers if so desired have been requested for Marie Curie Cancer Care

The 3rd Retirees Reunion and Social Afternoon–Book your Tickets

The 3rd Retirees Reunion and Social Afternoon Spectacular - Sunday 20th May, 2012
Durham Constabulary H.Q.  Aykley Heads, Durham. 1.30pm to 5pm.

Almost here – Just over a month to go…..  Please have a look at your diaries and ‘book the afternoon’ and catch up with some ‘old’ faces

Many of you will have already experienced this great social get together, organised as a joint event by Durham Constabulary and Durham N.A.R.P.O. Committee.
Just in case you haven’t heard about it, we invite ALL members of Durham Constabulary, police and police support staff both serving and retirees  past and present, to come along and enjoy a truly friendly and sociable afternoon. A great deal of planning by the Force Strategic Management team, the N.A.R.P.O. Committee members and a host of willing volunteers once again promises to make it an afternoon to remember. A number of you have in the past missed out, believing that you don’t know many people now, but here you have the opportunity to renew old acquaintances and friends. It is also an opportunity to socialise with serving officers and Staff who continue the proud traditions of Durham Constabulary.

We are concerned that many of our retired police staff personnel may not be aware (even now!) of the now annual social occasion. If you know any past employees, please share with them this information and give them the opportunity to share it too. 

There will be entertainment by the Durham Constabulary Band and Choir, demonstrations by the Dog Section and Motor Patrols, displays by Durham H.Q. Archives, N.A.R.P.O. Beamish Museum , the Blue Knights and more. 
Light refreshments will be provided (but please don’t expect a full meal – times is hard…!);  a superb raffle organised by N.A.R.P.O.; a souvenir programme and your own personal photograph to commemorate the occasion and best of all, the friendly atmosphere and “war stories” that only old friends can generate between each other. You’re only here once, so why not make the most of this joyous and friendly event.
Please Note:

• Admission is by ticket only for security purposes and also to gauge numbers for catering etc.
• Tickets are FREE. Remember -  No ticket – no entry!
• If lack of transport is a real problem, contact us – we MAY be able to help.

To Order your ticket(s)  – contact the people below

Retired Police Officers (non NARPO) and Retired Police Support staff, please order from:
Colin Appleby, 21, Lea Rigg, West Rainton, Houghton le String, DH4 6SR. Tel No. 0191 5846178.
Email: appleby.colin@btinternet.com

N.A.R.P.O Members including Widows, please order from:
Mrs. Angie Crawford, 8, Warwick Place, Peterlee, SR2 2EZ. Tel No. 01915180996. Email angiechilton@yahoo.com.

Serving Police Support Staff and Serving Officers please order from
Amanda Dodds or Amanda Wilson, Strategic Management Department.

Photo’s below from the 1^st re-union in 2010

 

Photographs of the old Police Station at Bishop Auckland

Can anyone help out one of our readers, Gavin Bake, who is trying to locate photographs of the old Police station in Bishop Auckland, which was located in Bondgate and was demolished in the 1970's.

Gavin is hoping to compile a painting and needs some help with photographs.

If anybody has any photo’s or can help Gavin please email us at durhamnarpo@gmail.com and we will forward any replies to him. Hopefully we might be able to publish a copy of Gavin’s artwork in the future

Durham Peeler–Summer 2012

Chairman Alan Watson has once again been hard at work over the past few months putting together the latest edition of the Durham Peeler.
Click on the image to go to the Durham Peeler webpage where you can then click on the images of the Peeler and either read them online or download them to your own computer in pdf format
Members will shortly receive their printed editions through the letterbox.
If any of our readers has a story that you would like put into print, in the Durham Peeler then please email us on durhamnarpo@gmail.com and we will forward your details to the Editor – Alan Watson

Home Office Guidance on injury award reviews for those over 65 unlawful

Dear All,

Any member adversely affected by the use of the Home Office Circular and Guidance upon reaching 65 years or over should be receiving communication from their respective Forces within the next month. Anyone so affected who does not hear from their Force within a month should contact NARPO HQ.

His Honour MR JUSTICE SUPPERSTONE has ruled that there is no statutory basis in the Police [Injury Benefit] Regulations to support a different approach to a Regulation 37 review at different ages.

At Paragraph 42 of the decision MR JUSTICE SUPPERSTONE opined:

In my judgment, the appropriate relief to grant in the circumstances of this case is a declaration that the section in the Guidance headed “Review of Injury Pensions Once Officers Reach Age 65” and paragraph 20 of the Guidance on Medical Appeals are inconsistent with the Regulations and unlawful.  There is no justification for adopting a different approach to regulation 37(1) in respect of a former officer who reaches the age of 65 than in the case of a review for former officers of a younger age.

ERIC EVANS President of NARPO commented:

NARPO particularly welcome this recent decision by His Honour Justice Supperstone and now urgently calls on those Forces that have used the Home Office Circular and Guidance to callously and systematically reduce the injury pensions of those who have been injured serving their local communities, without any consideration of their individual circumstances or needs, to put right this wrong immediately. Those adversely affected have suffered for long enough and Forces should act quickly to put their minds at rest. NARPO will be monitoring Forces to ensure that the problem is rectified forthwith.

The full judgement is available on our website Injury Pensions page.

Regards               

Steve Edwards

Deputy Chief Executive

National Association Of Retired Police Officers

38 Bond Street

Wakefield

WF1 2QP

01924 331251