Avon & Somerset Police Federation announces Unsung Hero of the Year Award
14 October 2026
A dedicated and proactive officer who has spent 23 years as a response PC and is passionate about serving the community has won the Unsung Hero of the Year Award at the Avon & Somerset Police Federation Recognition Awards.
PC Matthew Bond is currently a response officer in Burnham-on-Sea.
One colleague said they were “in awe of his dedication”, explaining: “From arresting offenders while off-duty buying flowers for his wife, to staying late most shifts to ensure the job is done and done well, PC Bond’s knowledge, expertise and ability to know when something isn’t right is second to none. He is what policing should be about – a strong moral compass, proactive nature and never complaining about the less-appealing tasks the job demands.”
PC Bond said he’d remained a PC for 23 years because it was his “dream job” from when he was at school. He said: “There are so many different roles in the police, but to me, the one true core role is being a police officer on response, in uniform, responding to calls, being out on the street, where it's at, where it's happening.
“I'm fortunate to still love my job and love my role. Being part of such a great team and the community that I'm lucky enough to police keeps me energised. Working with a younger workforce helps me stay energised, because there's constantly good energy in the office, there's enthusiasm, officers are keen, they want to learn, they want to go out and get stuck in.”
When asked what he liked most about being a police officer, he said: “I guess it's the adventure, really. You never know where you're going to go, you're always dealing with something different.
“Some of the calls might be more frequent, for example, answering domestic calls. It could be a disturbance on a Friday or Saturday night, anti-social behaviour, right up to a call where someone's armed themselves with a weapon, someone's been hurt, and everything in between.
“Sometimes it can be really challenging, particularly balancing family life and the workload, not to mention some of the calls that we go to as well. They can really test your policing skills. But in general, the rewards often outweigh the challenges.”
When he heard he was receiving the Federation’s Unsung Hero Award, PC Bond said: “It's a great feeling to be recognised. Humbling, as well. You're working with so many great people, day in, day out, and I feel that everyone does such a great job.”
Avon & Somerset Police Federation Chair Tom Gent said: “Matthew has never sought glory, he just does an excellent job every day, catching offenders and serving communities. He’s a popular member of the team, who helps boost morale and is an excellent role model for younger-in-service officers.”
PC Bond will attend the Avon & Somerset Police Federation Recognition Awards 2026 on Thursday 15 October.
The lead sponsor for the Awards is Axon.Also sponsoring are Serve and Protect Credit Union, Gallagher, Niche, Uniform Mortgages, Accord, Police Friendly, Warren & Co, Ginge Tours, Bluline Health, No1 Copperpot Credit Union and Police Mortgages.
