Stuart Parry, Secretary of Lancashire Police

PC Stuart Parry has been a Lancashire Police officer for 20 years and a Federation rep for four years. He says the best thing about being a rep is helping out colleagues in need.

“I have used the Fed’s services on several occasions and it felt like a luxury. You don’t even think about the Federation until you need it and then it is there for you. I had come to a crossroads in my career and was in a role that I knew I wouldn’t be doing long-term. It was 2017 when the Fed rep elections were on the horizon when I thought about standing.

“I wasn’t sure if I could do it, so spoke to a few people and decided to go for it. I was elected, which was great and pretty soon after I went on several training courses at HQ in Leatherhead, which gave me the training I needed.

“I made myself available to my colleagues and after three years I became a full-time rep. I feel proudest when I work on the bigger jobs, such as when officers are facing misconduct allegations. It’s demanding for both the officer and the rep, but it’s great when they get a good result.

“I always say no one joins the police to become a Fed rep, it just happens based on your experiences. But being a rep is very much like many other police officer roles; you don’t know what’s going to come in that day, but you know that whatever it is you’ll deal with it. If you need help, there is always someone to ask.

“The role of a rep makes the police service better, but I don’t think police officers always realise that.”

Views expressed here are from the time when Stuart was a Fed rep.